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REPORTING FOR
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A Handbook of Key Environmental

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING FOR AFRICAN JOURNALISTS

Issues and Concepts

A Handbook of Key Environmental Issues and Concepts

ISBN: 978-92-807-2767-8
JOB NO.: DPD/0883/NA
Environmental reporting
for African journalists:
Handbook of key
environmental issues and
concepts


 Published in December 2006. © 2006 UNEP. ISBN: 978-92-807-2767-8.
UNEP Job number: DPD/0833/NA

Produced by the Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI)

Divisional Directors: Division of Regional Cooperation - Cristina Boelcke;

Division of Environmental Policy Implementation - Veerle Vandeeweerd

Project Supervisors: Akpezi Ogbuigwe, Angele Luh

In House Team: Davies Okoko; Levis Kavagi; Timeyin Uweja; Kwame Ansong-Gyimah; David Bwakali;
Sarah Dorothy Atieno and Rose Ogot

Design and layout: Jennifer Odallo

Cover design and layout concept: Celeste Wamiru

Illustrations: Celeste Wamiru and Amako Obifigbo Chukwunonso

UNEP Review: Angele Luh; Esther Reilink; Fatou Ndoye; Sylvia Bankobeza; Meryem C. Amar; Desta
Mebratu; Verleye Ines; Martin Krebs; Chris Ambala; Aaban Ali Bhutt.

We also acknowledge the extensive review that was carried out by the Africa Network of Environmental
Journalists (ANEJ), Sylvia Wachira and Nkirote Laibon. The photographs included in this handbook are
from the following sources: Peter Manyara, Celeste Wamiru, David Bwakali and EET Team.

© 2006 United Nations Environment Programme

ISBN: 978-92-807-2767-8
Job No.: DPD/0883/NA

Disclaimer
The contents and views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of
UNEP or contributory organizations.
ii
The opinions, figures and estimates set forth in this publication may not necessarily be considered as
reflecting the view or carrying the endorsement of UNEP.

The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion
whatsoever on the part of UNEP or contributory organizations concerning the legal status of any
country, territory, city or area or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or
boundaries.

Mention of a commercial company or production in this publication does not imply the endorsement
of UNEP.

Reproduction
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit
purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the
source is made. The United Nations Environment Programme would appreciate receiving a copy of
any publication that uses this publication as a source.

No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever
without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme.

United Nations Environment Programme

Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI)
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 7621234
Faximile: +254 20 7623927
Email: uneppub@unep.org
www.unep.org

Printing: UNON Printshop, United Nations Office at Nairobi

Printed on chlorine free paper with plant based ink.

iii
 Contents
Foreword............................................................................................................................................vi
Preface.............................................................................................................................................. viii
List of abbreviations...........................................................................................................................x
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................1
How to use this handbook..................................................................................................................3
I. Africa Environment Outlook (AEO) .......................................................................................5
II. Key environmental issues.........................................................................................................15
A. Poverty and the environment.........................................................................................15
B. Environmental law..........................................................................................................16
C. Environmental partnerships...........................................................................................21
D. Health and the environment...........................................................................................24
E. Gender and the environment..........................................................................................25
F. Youth and the environment ...........................................................................................27
G. Environmental education and training . .......................................................................29
III. United Nations and the environment.....................................................................................33
A. Environment Management Group (EMG)....................................................................34
B. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)......................................................34
C. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).............................45
D. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).....................................................47
E. United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).................................48
F. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Programme (UNESCO) ..........51
G. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)...............................52
H. World Meteorological Organization (WMO)................................................................52
I. World Health Organization (WHO)..............................................................................53
J. World Food Programme (WFP).....................................................................................55
K. United Nations campaigns and inter-agency networking.............................................56
IV. Development banks and institutions financing environmental activities.............................59
A. World Bank......................................................................................................................59
iv
 B. African Development Bank.............................................................................................60
C. Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol..........................60
V. International environment‑focused organizations................................................................63
VI. Africa Network of Environmental Journalists (ANEJ)..........................................................65
VII. Multilateral environmental agreements .................................................................................67
A. Biodiversity conventions.................................................................................................70
B. Atmosphere conventions................................................................................................85
C. Chemicals and hazardous wastes conventions...............................................................94
D. Land conventions..........................................................................................................101
E. MEAs on seas and insland water..................................................................................106
VIII. International environmental governance..............................................................................115
IX. Key milestones........................................................................................................................119
X. Major environmental institutions in Africa..........................................................................125
A. African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN)...............................125
B. African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW)........................................................127
C. New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)................................................130
D. African Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (ARSCP)..........134
XI. Reporting on the environment..............................................................................................137
X. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................143
Appendices......................................................................................................................................145
I. Information resources on Africa..................................................................................145
II. United Nations system..................................................................................................146
III. Environmental contacts and networks.........................................................................151
A. UNEP....................................................................................................................151
B. Ministries of environment in Africa...................................................................152
IV. Millennium Development Goals..................................................................................161


 Foreword

“
Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the
premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” These
words by Kofi Annan underscore the immense importance of
information in our society. An informed society will be better equipped
and positioned to tackle the challenges of the twenty‑first century.

Environmental information forms the crux of environmental action. Thanks to the prominent
role that they play in disseminating information, the mass media can ensure widespread
distribution of environmental information and thus catalyse environmental action.

In pursuance of its mission to provide leadership and encourage partnerships and access
to environmental information as helping to contribute to sustainable development, UNEP
recognizes the need to support journalists in the difficult task of interpreting complex
environmental issues. This handbook was written in a user-friendly reference style that
will ensure speedy access to the information needed both in the handbook itself and in the
further readings suggested. The availability of such specific information and references will
enable environmental issues to be widely incorporated into mainstream reporting, thus
ensuring that accurate environmental information becomes duly and strategically integrated
into the public domain sooner, rather than later; systematically, rather than sporadically.

Africa is one of the five priority areas identified by UNEP, accordingly African journalists need to
be trained in environmental reporting. Accurate and balanced environmental journalism requires
a firm grasp of global, regional and local environmental issues. This handbook is geared towards
providing the African journalist with specific background information and guidelines for accurate
environmental reporting. It highlights and outlines key issues and the environmental conventions
related to them, because of their global significance and the local impact they have. Environmental
conventions are particularly important for Africa because of its extreme vulnerability to
environmental change. This handbook will provide journalists with a firm grasp of the essentials
of these vital conventions and how they play out on the wider environmental field.
vi
The Africa Environment Outlook (AEO) process within UNEP has produced two highly
informative and comprehensive integrated environmental assessment reports. The second
edition of the AEO report sets out clearly the immense opportunities afforded by Africa’s
natural resources. The report probes more deeply into the extensive interplay between
environmental and economic factors and, in doing so, has set a new benchmark in holistic
assessment that looks at both the past and the future. The handbook provides an overview
of this cutting‑edge AEO process which will enable journalists to appreciate both the bigger
picture of the African environment and the emerging wider context of environmental action.

The Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-building has underlined the
need to base the decision-making process on sound information. This vital principle of
information for action was also stressed by global environmental ministers at their sixth
special session in Malmö, Sweden, in May 2000. The Malmö ministerial declaration states
in part that “the role of civil society at all levels should be strengthened through freedom of
access to environmental information to all.”

The media continue to play a strategic role in raising environmental awareness, channelling
environmental information and inspiring environmental action and, as such, is crucial to the
work carried out by UNEP. For this reason African journalists, through the Africa Network of
Environmental Journalists, were extensively consulted in the production of this handbook and
their input has ensured that the handbook truly reflects their concerns and needs.

Because of the dynamic nature of environmental information, environmental reporting

must be concerted, consistent and informed. This handbook answers that need and provides
journalists with the necessary tools to deliver such reporting.

Achim Steiner,
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Director,
United Nations Environment Programme
vii
 Preface

E
nvironmental information is like a journey. Sometimes you don’t know what’s
around the corner but you must always proceed responsibly towards that corner.
The key environmental issues and concepts that this handbook profiles are meant to
assist African journalists and the wider public to navigate responsibly and consistently along
this dynamic environmental journey. An ancient Chinese proverb underscores this, ‘to get
through the hardest journey, we need to take only one step at a time, but we must keep on
stepping.’

Since its inception in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme has undertaken
several projects and publications in line with its mission to provide leadership and encourage
partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and
peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UNEP recognises that information dissemination is crucial for the achievement of

global goals such as the Millennium Development Goals and the Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development. The media and media practitioners play a crucial role in
information dissemination and awareness raising about sustainable development and in
promoting action for social change.

To help equip African journalists with relevant skills and tools for raising the quality of
environmental reporting in both electronic and print media, UNEP has been active in
developing programmes and publications for African Journalists. UNEP has held several
workshops for African journalists between 2002 and 2006. As a result of these meetings,
the African Network of Environmental Journalists (ANEJ) was formed. A website has been
created to facilitate communication and access to resources. A resource kit for African
journalists has also been published. These activities contributed towards this handbook.

viii
The ability to be both factual and investigative is a cornerstone of journalism. This
handbook is designed to provide pointers to help that practice. It encourages and facilitates
the application of individual initiatives. It is based on the premise that the users have a
natural interest in nature and have the professional task of reporting on the environment
and environmental science. However, it is designed to be of general interest to the average
journalist as well as all environmental educators and students.

It is our hope that this handbook will greatly enhance the work of African journalists as
they continue with their sacred duty of keeping the public informed. Indeed, we must keep
on walking this environmental road. I wish you all an enlightening journey as you traverse
through this publication.

Cristina Boelcke
Director, Division of Regional Cooperation
United Nations Environment Programme

ix
 List of abbreviations

ABS Access to genetic resources and benefit‑t sharing

AEWA African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement
AMCEN African Ministerial Conference on the Environment
AMCOW African Ministers’ Council on Water
ANEJ African Network of Environmental Journalists
ARSCP African Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production
BPOA Barbados Plan of Action
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CCOL Coordinating Committee of the Ozone Layer
CILSS Comite Permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Séecheresse dans le
Sahel (Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the
Sahel)
CITES Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora
COP Conference of Parties
EAC East African Community
ECOWAS Economic Community of West Africa States
EIA Environmental impact assessment
EMG Environment Management Group
GMO Genetically modified organisms
IAS Invasive invasive alien species
ICRI International Coral Reef Initiative
IGAD Intergovernmental Authority for Development
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IUCN World Conservation Union
IWRM Integrated water resource management
MEA Multilateral environmental agreement
NBI Nile Basin Initiative


NEAP National environment action plan
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’’s Development
ODS Ozone‑depleting substances
PIC Prior informed consent
POP Persistent organic pollutant
SADC Southern African Development Community
SIDS Small island developing States
UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
UNDESD United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
WSSD World Summit on Sustainable Development
WWF World Wildlife Fund

xi
xii
Introduction

T
his handbook seeks to equip African journalists with an information tool for
environmental reporting. It covers the following topics:

Africa Environment Outlook

This section provides an overview of Africa’s environment, based on that given in the second
edition of the Africa Environment Outlook report (AEO-2). This report portrays Africa’s
environmental resources as an asset for the continent’s development, thus highlighting
the potential of the region’s natural resource base in supporting the development agenda
of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and also pointing out the
environmental cost of the misuse of these resources.

Key environmental issues

This section provides outlines of key environmental issues, introducing the UNEP divisions
that deal with these issues. The idea is to give African journalists an overall picture of diverse
environmental issues and concepts.

United Nations and the environment

This section provides information on the United Nations and the major bodies within the
United Nations that are concerned with the environment. It also provides information on
several environment-related United Nations programmes and projects. Global initiatives
such as the Millennium Development Goals and the Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development are also discussed here.

Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs)

This section discusses MEAs and introduces the reader to the MEA drafting process,
meetings, negotiations and signatures, and also the ratification procedures. It also describes

 how an MEA comes into force, the overall procedure and the decisions made by the
conference of parties and the development of protocols. This section also outlines the major
global environmental conventions currently in force.

Reporting on the environment

This section provides key pointers on environmental concerns that journalists may wish
to report on. It provides brief information on organizations, networks and processes that
deal with the management of environmental information. This section also presents some
ideas on target audience and focus groups, provides suggestions on how to avoid errors in
environmental reporting and discusses some challenges and opportunities in environmental
reporting.

Environmental contacts and networks

In order to be effective every journalist depends on access to information and contacts. This
section provides a list of relevant contacts that may serve as reliable sources of information.
It also lists networks and training opportunities that are available to journalists writing on
the environment.


How to use this handbook

T
he main focus of this handbook is to provide readily available access to key “We face neither East nor
environmental issues and concepts. Careful consideration has been given to the West: we face forward”
choice of the various topics covered in terms of their importance and relevance to Kwame Nkrumah,
the African continent. Each section deals with a specific aspect of the environment and is founding President of
designed to provide a quick but detailed reference guide for journalists on each topic. Ghana

• If you are a journalist who occasionally works on environmental issues,

• If you are an environmental journalist who always reports on environmental issues,
• If you are a journalist who would like to start reporting on environmental issues,
• If you are keen on environmental issues,

then this handbook is for you! It will help you to answer investigative and analytical
questions like the following:

• What are the key issues on the environmental scene?

• Who are the key players in different environmental fields?
• When were landmark environmental decisions made and what are their
consequences?
• How are MEAs concluded?
• Why is the environment suffering in some African regions and flourishing in others?
• Where can I get additional information on the environment?

Where relevant, the information in the handbook is preceded by the corresponding

question: who, what, why, when, where and how. This will make it easier for the reader to
zero in on the section they wish to consult. The appendices provide a list of websites, contact
information on environment ministries in Africa and contact information on the African
network of environmental journalists.



I.  Africa Environment Outlook (AEO)

What? “The AEO-2 report

challenges the myth that

T
he African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) initiated the
Africa is poor. Indeed,
Africa Environment Outlook (AEO) reporting process in 2000. The AEO report
it points out that its vast
is a UNEP flagship report which analyses the current state of the environment
natural wealth can, if
and environmental trends in the region, as well as examining emerging issues. This report
sensitively, sustainably
continues to inspire dialogue in the region and has been used as the primary background
and creatively managed,
document in the preparation of the NEPAD environmental action plan – showing strong
be the basis for an
links between environmental assessment and policy‑making.
African renaissance – a
renaissance that meets
The AEO assessment methodology is based on the UNEP Global Environment Outlook
and goes beyond the
(GEO) process. It brings together information and insights that are usually dispersed
internationally agreed
across disciplines and institutions. It also fosters communication between science and
Millennium Development
policy-making. This highly participatory process aims to provide comprehensive, credible
Goals. But this is not
environmental information in a form that is relevant to policy-making. The structure,
inevitable and, as
which combines comprehensive environmental information with policy analysis, mindful of
the AE0-2 points out,
the overall context of social and economic conditions and development imperatives, is thus
African nations face stark
ideally suited to this purpose.
choices”.

When? Achim Steiner, UNEP

Executive Director
AEO was commissioned at the eighth session of AMCEN. The first AEO report was
launched during the ninth session of AMCEN and was hailed as an historic advance for the
state of the environment in Africa. It was the first ever comprehensive and integrated report
on the African environment. The second AEO report was launched during the eleventh
session of AMCEN in Brazzaville, Congo.


 How?
“Safeguarding the This report has brought people into the heart of sustainable development, thus underlining
environment is a the importance of the human element in environmental dynamics. The report probes deeply
crosscutting United into the close interconnection between social and economic factors. In doing this, it has set a
Nations’ activity. It is a new benchmark in holistic assessment.
guiding principle of all
our work in support of AEO-2 provides an integrated and multilevel analysis of the state of the environment and
sustainable development. the opportunities it offers for Africa. It emphasizes the concept of sustainable livelihood,
It is an essential and the importance of environmental initiatives in supporting that concept. It discusses
component of poverty what should and can be done with the remaining environmental assets, in the context of
eradication and one of the identified constraints, rather than focusing on what has been already lost. Success can be
foundations of peace and achieved by adoption of the following measures:
security.”
• Adding value to the resource that still remains in existence;
Kofi Annan, United
• Using natural resources efficiently and sustainably to derive maximum benefit;
Nations Secretary-General
• Mitigating constraints and negative effects;
• Maximizing the total value of Africa’s natural assets;
• Making a case for safeguarding and improving the remaining assets;

Why?
As is evident from its content, AEO-2 has defined Africa’s environmental resources as
an asset for the continent’s development. In doing this, it shows that the region’s natural
resource base can be used to support’ the development agenda of NEPAD and it also
demonstrates the price to be paid for misuse of that resource base. The report serves as a
monitoring and evaluation tool for the implementation of the programmes and activities
contained in the action plan of the NEPAD environment initiative.


The AEO-2 report covers the following:

Environment for development

The environment and human development are the principal focuses of sustainable “However improbable it
development. The productivity and sustainability of Africa’s environment is heavily may sound to the sceptics,
dependent on how this asset is managed. This, in turn, can affect the availability, stocks and Africa will prosper!
functioning of the remaining assets, either enhancing opportunities or putting livelihoods at Whoever we may be,
risk. The range of livelihoods, with its opportunities for human development and alleviation whatever our immediate
of extreme poverty and hunger, extends from total dependence on natural resource systems interest, however much we
either for subsistence or as part of business, to total dependence on wage earnings, from carry baggage from our
trade or industry. past, however much we
have been caught by the
This section mainly focuses on the central role that people and livelihoods play in the field fashion of cynicism and
of sustainable development, exploring the concept and range of livelihoods to be found loss of faith in the capacity
in Africa. In this context, the range of opportunities for earning a livelihood in Africa is of the people, let us err
considered to extend from those who are wholly dependent on natural resource systems for today and say – nothing
subsistence, to those who are entirely dependent on wage earning, or trade or industries. can stop us now!”
Thabo Mbeki, then Deputy
This section also examines the interaction between culture and natural resources. In many
President of South Africa
African societies, not only are natural resources important assets, but they also help define
(Mbeki 1996)
group identity.

This section also reviews different initiatives that are influencing the environmental agenda
in the region and the way they are operating at subregional, national and local levels. It
has identified common points in the initiatives and highlighted areas of agreement on the
priorities.

State of the environment and environmental trends: 20-year retrospective

This section has drawn from AEO-1 and NEPAD programme areas to provide a brief
summary of the state of the environment, in the context of opportunities for development.


“Like winds and sunsets,
wild things were taken
The areas covered in this chapter are the following:
for granted until progress
began to do away with
them”
Aldo Leopold, US
environmentalist (1887–
1948)
What?
• Social and economic issues
• Land
• Forests and woodlands
• Atmosphere
• Freshwater
• Biodiversity
• Coastal and marine
• Human settlements
• Health and environment (malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality)
• Energy
• Technology solutions (considered as cross-cutting)
• Natural disasters and environmental performance
• Gender disparities (an interdisciplinary issue relevant to all the themes)
• Interlinkages: The environment and policy web

How?
Each theme identifies potential opportunities for reversing environmental degradation,
focussing on adding value to what remains by using it efficiently to achieve maximum
poverty alleviation. Economic evaluation of the resources emphasizes the need to safeguard
and improve them.

Emerging challenges
What?
Emerging issues can simply be existing issues looked at in a different light. They can also be
completely new environmental phenomena. One of the functions of AEO, as a monitoring


tool, is to keep track of environmental problems (or solutions) that may suddenly become “…future generations are
significant, and bring them to the attention of policy makers. likely to look back to our
time and either thank us
Some of the emerging issues dealt with in AEO-2 are set out below. or curse us for what we
do – or don’t do – about
Genetically modified crops GMOs and biosafety.
Doing the right thing is not
Modified non-living organisms include products such as drugs, vaccines, and food additives, simple.”
canned, processed and preserved foods. Biotechnology techniques and products applicable
in the health sector that may be of value in developing countries include molecular CBD and UNEP 2003
diagnostics, recombinant vaccines, vaccine and drug‑delivery techniques, sequencing
pathogens, genomes, microbicides, bioinformatics, recombinant therapeutic proteins,
and combinatorial chemistry. Environmental management techniques that may be useful “Invasive alien species are
include bioremediation. emerging as one of the
major threats to sustainable
There are three critical issues to be considered: first, the implications of the use of modern development, on a par with
biotechnology for biosafety as well as for human health and well-being; second, whether global warming and the
or not genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which were engineered using modern destruction of life-support
biotechnology offer a sustainable food security option; and, third, the extent to which, with systems. These aliens
its existing capacity, Africa is able to undertake research and effectively to monitor and come in the form of plants,
evaluate genetically modified products and their use. animals and microbes that
have been introduced into
Another set of questions relating to policy-making processes is the growing influence of an area from other parts of
the scientific and private sector in policy development and how this can be reconciled with the world, and have been
public concerns. Issues of public trust, accountability and transparency, as well as farmers’ able to displace indigenous
and consumers’ rights, account for much of these. species.”
Preston and Williams,
Invasive alien species Working for Water
Programme, South Africa
Alien – that is non-native – species have been introduced both accidentally and
2003
intentionally. Intentional introductions are, and have been, motivated by economic,
environmental and social considerations. Many alien species, including some that are


“Never look down to test
the ground before taking
your next step; only he
who keeps his eye fixed on
the far horizon will find the
right road.”
Dag Hammarskjold, United
Nations Secretary‑General
1953-1961
“To live is to choose. But
to choose well, you must
know who you are and
what you stand for, where
you want to go and why
you want to get there.”
Kofi Annan, Secretary-
General of the United
Nations
“Safeguarding the
environment is… an
essential component of
poverty eradication and
one of the foundations of
peace and security.”
Kofi Annan, Secretary-
General of the United
Nations
10
invasive, have been of immense economic value for Africa. In general, however, their impact
on sustainability of resources (on which livelihoods and development are often based) has
been adverse: they have a negative impact on human well-being and opportunities and
contribute to increased human vulnerability. Invasive alien species are a serious impediment
to the sustainable use of global, regional and local biodiversity; this has implications for
freshwater and marine resources, tourism, and forest and woodlands. The proliferation
of invasive alien species affects the potential of countries to meet their development and
environmental objectives. Resources spent on trying to control invasive alien species
could be redirected to other development initiatives, such as the implementation of the
Millennium Development Goals. This is an important reason to adopt approaches that
control and prevent such introductions.
In Africa there are important ecosystems under threat from invasive alien species; this
undermines development and livelihood opportunities, increases human vulnerability and
threatens human well-being. The invasive species may outcompete native species, repressing
or excluding them, thus fundamentally changing the ecosystem. They may indirectly
transform the structure and species composition of the ecosystem by changing the way
in which nutrients are cycled through the ecosystem. Entire ecosystems could be placed
at risk through the knock-on effects. Given the critical role played by biodiversity in the
maintenance of essential ecosystem functions, invasive alien species may cause changes in
environmental services such as flood control and water supply, water assimilation, nutrient
recycling, conservation and regeneration of soils. Invasive species may also affect native
species by introducing pathogens or parasites that may bring them disease or even death.
Chemicals
Chemical substances and their derivatives are widely used in many development and
economic fields, including industry, agriculture, mining, water purification, public health
(particularly disease eradication), and infrastructure development. The use of chemicals
has brought immense benefits to humanity, but at the same time has had negative impacts
on human health and safety, (especially for the very poor and the very young), on the
integrity of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and on the quality of air and water. The
unsound management of obsolete chemicals, stockpiles and waste undermines human
health and poses threats to human well-being at many levels, including the sustainability of
the environment, which provides essential goods and services for the livelihood of millions.
It poses a threat to physical security and also reduces the ability of communities to care for
themselves and, especially, for their children.

The challenge facing Africa is how to harness the benefits of chemicals, while minimizing
the costs. While Africa has made significant progress in developing a regional framework
for the management of chemicals throughout their life‑cycle – production, transportation,
storage, use and disposal – much still needs to be done for this approach to be implemented
into national and subregional systems.

Developing a more effective chemical management system will require tackling the specific
challenges that Africa faces. There is already an extensive global system for chemical
management, and it is important not to duplicate efforts but to create synergies and better
systems for implementation. Africa faces challenges related to the availability of information “By our actions we have
and the communication of this to users; inadequate capacity to monitor the use of denigrated our country
chemicals effectively; lack of access to cleaner production systems and technologies for waste and jeopardized the
management; inadequate capacity to deal with poisoning and contamination. Recognition future of our children
of the risks that chemicals pose to human health and the environment has led to significant …indigenous people often
progress being made at international levels to address this through Agenda 21, the World do not realise what is
Summit on Sustainable Development, the Rotterdam Convention and the Stockholm happening to them until
Convention. it is too late. More often
than not, they are the
victims of the actions of
Environment for peace and regional cooperation
greedy outsiders.”
This section looks at some of the links between environment, population, and security,
Ken Saro-Wiwa,
particularly in areas of conflict where there are problems with scarcity, distribution of and
Nigerian writer, human
access to environmental resources.
rights activist and
environmentalist
Conflict is a major driver of environmental change, and it has significant implications for
development and human well-being. Many of the conflicts in the region are internal and
11
 cross-border disagreements that are often related to the use of natural resources. There is a
strong negative correlation between conflict and human development: in 2005 most of the
countries with the lowest human development index (HDI) rankings were also those which
were immersed in conflict or had recently emerged from it.

Since 1970, more than 30 wars have been fought in Africa. Severe military conflict in sub-
Saharan Africa is reported to cut life expectancy by between four and six years. Between
1980 and 2000, Africa lost over 50 per cent of its infrastructure to conflict.
By the end of 2003, more than half of the total 24 million internally displaced people
worldwide were to be found in 20 African States. In 2004, there were almost 2.9 million
officially registered refugees in Africa, and many more people living outside their country
of origin without legal protection. By 2005, this number had risen to 4.9 million. It is
estimated that one in three African city-dwellers lives in life-threatening conditions. In
Angola, for example, a combination of war-related factors resulted in rapid and unplanned
urbanization. The population of the capital city, Luanda, doubled between 1990 and 2001.

Africa has made considerable progress towards building peace. In 1998, there were 14
countries engaged in armed conflict or civil strife; by August 2005, the United Nations
Secretary-General reported that only three countries were engaged in major conflict
although many more countries were involved in civil strife of a lower intensity. Most
countries have greatly improved their governance system, yet a combination of historical,
external and internal factors continue to contribute to conflict.

Outlook
Back to our common future: a renaissance for the environment

The AEO-2 report looks at the future through the lens of four scenarios – Market forces,
Policy reform, Fortress world, and Great transitions. Analysis of these scenarios provides a
framework for understanding the ways in which various issues or sectors impinge on one
another and the implications that any particular policy choice will have for the future.

12
When?
The time frame envisaged is between now and the year 2025; this would fit in with the
national development visions and poverty reduction strategies which have already been
developed by a number of countries in the region.

How?
This chapter focuses on strategic partnerships, policies and early warning systems or other
mechanisms to achieve NEPAD goals. It also highlights the role of science and technology
and examines different development paths towards achieving the Millennium Development
Goals, based on selected scenarios.

Strengthening implementation and policy

What?
This chapter looks at ways of improving implementation of activities and policy
development, keeping in mind the emerging issues within the global context. Special focus is
placed on the opportunities available. Some of the issues discussed include:

• Analysis of the costs and benefits of priority policies

• Governance and capacity-building for compliance with MEAs
• The priorities for research and development that are needed to improve policy
development
• Partnerships focusing on issues concerned with the empowerment of the private
sector, communities and civil society to achieve NEPAD goals.

13
 Conclusions and recommendations

What?
The following are some of the issues highlighted in the conclusion:

• An analysis of the overall environmental performance. Are things improving or

getting worse?
• Whether the responses, policy and action, are the most appropriate or could things
have been done differently?

How?
AEO-2 recommendations are formulated on the principle that people are central to
sustainable development. Some of the success stories highlighted in the analysis give rise to
recommendations for actions to be taken. Specific recommendations are made for African
small island developing States in the context of the meeting held in Mauritius to review
implementation of the Barbados Plan of Action 10 years on (Barbados+10) and its outcome.
There are also recommendations for the next set of priorities for Africa.

References
AMCEN/UNEP (2006). Africa Environment Outlook: Our Environment, Our Wealth.
Earthprint Limited, London

14
 “If a free society cannot
II.  Key environmental issues help the many who are
poor, it cannot save the
A.  Poverty and the environment few who are rich.”
John F. Kennedy US

P
overty should be studied through a multi-dimensional approach that encompasses
a multitude of constituents and determinants of well-being. The absence of these President 1961 - 1963
constituents and determinants can be defined as poverty. According to the publication,
Exploring the Links: Human Well-being, Poverty and Ecosystem Services (UNEP and IISD, 2004),
the ten constituents and determinants that are essential for improving well-being and reducing “A society is judged not
so much by the standards
poverty are:
attained by its more affluent
• Adequate nourishment and privileged members as
• Freedom from avoidable disease by the quality of life which
• Environmentally clean and safe shelter it is able to assure for its
• Adequate supply of clean drinking water weakest members.”
• Access to clean air Javier Perez de Cuellar,
• Sufficient energy for warmth and cooking United Nations Secretary-
General, 1982–1991
• Use of traditional medicine
• Use of natural elements found in ecosystems for traditional cultural and spiritual
practices
“There can be no peace
• Ability to cope with extreme natural events such as floods, tropical storms and
without equitable develop-
landslides
ment; and there can be
• Ability to make sustainable management decisions that respect natural resources and
no development without
enable the achievement of a steady, sustainable income.
sustainable management
The well-being of present and future human populations depends on their attaining of the environment in a
ecologically sustainable and socially equitable ways of living. While ecosystems adapt and democratic and peaceful
space.”
evolve, humans are vulnerable, especially when ecosystem productivity drops. In order to
reduce this vulnerability and increase the resilience of the poor we need: Wangari Maathai, Nobel
Peace Laureate, 2004
• To move away from a one-size-fits-all approach towards a more adaptable intervention
strategy that embraces, understands and respects the complexity of ecosystems
15
 • To ensure that intervention strategies do not fight against the dynamics of the
ecosystems but rather work with them.

References
http://www.unep.org/delc/poverty_environment/index.asp

B.  Environmental law

Since the establishment of UNEP in 1972, environmental law has always been one of its
priorities. The development of adequate environmental law is an essential adjunct to the
implementation of the policies, strategies and recommendations of UNEP. In 2000, the
Malmö Ministerial Declaration acknowledged that the evolving framework of international
environmental law and the development of national law provided a sound basis for
addressing major environmental threats.

16
Environmental law was also covered in Agenda 21, which stated that, “the overall objective
of the review and development of international environmental law should be to evaluate
and to promote the efficacy of that law and to promote the integration of environment and
development policies through effective international agreements or instruments taking into
account both universal principles and the particular and differentiated needs and concerns
of all countries.”

National and international environmental legislation is complex and vast, comprising

thousands of rules that aim to protect the Earth’s living and non-living elements and its
ecological processes. The laws of these ecological processes are inescapable and must be
acknowledged. One such law is that all human activities have an impact on the environment.
Indeed, each individual has an “ecological footprint” that reflects the extent of that person’s
use of natural resources and the extent to which that use has contributed to pollution. The
ecological footprints of individuals vary considerably both within States and from one
region of the world to another.
http://www.footprintnetwork.org

Global commitments are vital to the sustainable protection and conservation of

environmental features. In Africa, landmark natural resources that are indispensable to life,
such as the Nile river, can only be conserved through transboundary legislation and action.
Hence environmental law at the global, regional and national level is at once a cornerstone
and a guidepost for the environment. Environmental law is widely recognized as an effective
tool to catalyse and maintain national and international environmental action.

Montevideo Programme
Since 1982, UNEP has conducted its environmental law activities on the basis of three
consecutive issues of the Montevideo Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of
Environmental Law. Each sets a ten-year strategy for the involvement of UNEP in the field of
environmental law. The Montevideo Programme has provided a long-term strategic approach for
the development and implementation of the UNEP international environmental law programme,
which responds to the various environmental challenges of each decade.
17
Publications on In 1981, a group of senior government officials, expert in environmental law, developed a
Environmental Law long-term, strategic guidance plan for UNEP in the field of environmental law, which was
include: adopted by the Governing Council of UNEP in 1982 and became known as Montevideo
- Guidebook for Policy Programme I. As part of its mandate, UNEP was to undertake programme activities on the
and Legislative conclusion of international agreements and the development of international principles,
Development on guidelines and standards. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Programme and its successor
Conservation and (Montevideo Programme II) adopted by the Governing Council in 1993 formed the basis
Sustainable Use of for any action taken by UNEP concerning the progressive development of environmental
Freshwater Resources. law. The content was largely based upon the requirements outlined in Agenda 21 adopted
- UNEP Global Judges at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 – the Earth
Programme. Summit.
- Compendium of
Environmental Laws of UNEP is currently implementing the Montevideo Programme III, the Programme for
African Countries the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law for the first Decade of the
- Judicial Handbook on Twenty-first Century. The Governing Council adopted the programme in February 2001, by
Environmental Law decision 21/23. The Montevideo Programme III includes 20 components, grouped under
- International three major themes:
Environmental Law
(a)  Effectiveness of environmental law
• Implementation, compliance and enforcement
• Capacity-building
• Prevention and mitigation of environmental damage
• Avoidance and settlement of international environmental disputes
• Strengthening and development of international environmental law
• Harmonization and coordination
• Public participation and access to information
• Information technology and innovative approaches to environmental law

(b)  Conservation and management

• Freshwater resources
• Coastal and marine ecosystems

18
 • Soils
• Forests
• Biological diversity
• Pollution prevention and control
• Production and consumption patterns
• Environmental emergencies and natural disasters

(c)  Relationship with other fields

• Trade
• Security and the environment
• Military activities and the environment

Cartagena mandate for UNEP

In 2002, at the seventh special session meeting of UNEP in Cartagena, Colombia
recommended that the implementation of the existing national and international
laws should be a matter of priority. The recommendation went further and stated:
“implementation of multilateral environmental agreements should be further enhanced,
with appropriate assistance given to developing countries and countries with economies
in transition. The UNEP Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of
Environmental Law for the First Decade of the Twenty-first Century (Montevideo
Programme III) should be fully implemented for addressing legal and institutional means
for achieving the environmental dimension of sustainable development. Institutional
arrangements to strengthen collaboration between UNEP and other relevant entities,
including multilateral environmental agreement entities competent in fields other than the
environment should be pursued.”

References
http://www.unep.org/delc/Law
http://www.unep.org/gc/GCSS-VII/Documents/K0260448.doc

19
 Partnership for the Development of Environmental Law and Institutions in Africa
(PADELIA)
PADELIA is a UNEP project which aims at building capacity and strengthening the
institutions of African countries for the development, implementation, enforcement
and harmonization of environmental laws, taking into account poverty alleviation and
sustainable development strategies.

Phase I of the project was initiated in 1994. This phase of the project involved seven
countries: Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Uganda
and the United Republic of Tanzania. The first four project countries concentrated on
environmental issues of a purely national character while the other three focused on issues
of subregional and transboundary scope geared towards the harmonization of laws and
regulations in agreed areas.

Phase I, which ended officially in 2000, generated many projects at global, national and
subregional levels, including the compilation of compendiums of environmental legislation
of different African countries and judicial decisions on matters related to the environment
from different jurisdictions worldwide; reports which formed the basis for the development
of legislation and framework environmental laws in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi,
Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Uganda. In addition, the project countries
developed draft texts of sectoral laws. Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania,
which had been selected to facilitate an experiment with a subregional project, are adopting
a protocol on the environment and natural resources.

Phase II of the project covers 13 countries which are grouped into three subregions: the
Sahel subregion comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal; the SADC subregion
comprising Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland (a phase I country) and the East
African subregion comprising Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Other
countries which do not fall under the subregions are Mozambique and Sao Tome and
Principe. PADELIA, therefore, works with the national Governments in the project countries
and other partners, including donors and the cooperating agencies the World Conservation
20
Union (IUCN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in “Reversing global
the implementation of the project activities. environmental decline
demands the full and
The project activities are categorized into five broad areas: review and development effective participation of
of environmental laws; institutional strengthening; capacity-building to develop and all sectors of society.”
implement environmental laws; promotion of compliance with and enforcement of
Klaus Töpfer, UNEP
environmental law, and the promotion of environmental law awareness and information.
Executive Director,
Its main features include the linking of all its activities to poverty reduction strategies
1998–2006
and sustainable development; it is country-based and highly participatory in nature in
that beneficiary countries identify their own problems, determine their priorities, build a
national consensus and employ national expertise to implement activities, thus ensuring
national ownership of the results.

It also encourages capacity-building whereby nationals are trained to identify problems

requiring legal intervention and to prepare their own laws and other legal instruments. At
the regional level, the project has been working with African universities to promote the
introduction of environmental law into the curriculum of their law faculties.

PADELIA has been regarded as a driving force for environmental law in Africa. The
establishment of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in African Universities is
a clear indication of the increase in popularity of the subject of environmental law through
the activities of PADELIA.

C.  Environmental partnerships

A Kiswahili proverb rightly states that unity means power while disunity means weakness.
UNEP has always enjoyed a special relationship with civil society organizations in tackling
environmental issues. This unity was already evident even when UNEP was conceived; the
Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, which led to the creation of UNEP in
1972, owed much to the enthusiasm, dedication and commitment of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). Since then, this mutually beneficial partnership has borne many
fruits. Most of the MEAs (Basel Convention, Montreal Protocol, Convention on Biological
21
“Business, labor and civil
society organizations
have skills and resources
that are vital in helping to
build a more robust global
community.”
Kofi Annan, United
Nations Secretary-General
22
Diversity, Framework Convention on Climate Change, etc.) were developed thanks to the
lobbying efforts of NGOs.
It is crucial that civil society take an effective role within the various programmes and in
governance if the environmental pillar of sustainable development is to be strengthened and
Agenda 21 firmly implemented. Agenda 21 makes it mandatory to integrate all civil society
stakeholders in sustainable development processes. These different major groups bring on board
many valuable experiences and ideas that need to be taken into account in order to foster long-
term, broad-based support for the work of UNEP. Even more important, such partnerships
provide opportunities for multi-stakeholder participation in the design, implementation and
monitoring of activities, and dissemination of vital environmental projects.
The current UNEP pattern for stakeholder involvement at the policy level is based on Rule 69 of the rules
accreditation, as per rule 69 of the rules of procedure of the Governing Council. As of 1 July of procedure of the
2006, 173 organizations are accredited to the UNEP Governing Council. UNEP Governing
Council, “Observers
UNEP recognizes the importance of civil society in environmental sustainability and is of international
actively working to ensure that civil society organizations are able to play a constructive non-governmental
role in the formulation and implementation of policy and programmes for sustainable organizations”, stipulates
development. The involvement of UNEP with civil society aims to establish and strengthen in its paragraph 2, with
partnerships with prominent civil society groups, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness regard to civil society
of the development and delivery of its programme of work in Africa; to develop and organizations:
promote understanding of the major environmental challenges in the region, as a means of • “International non-
making people’s livelihoods more productive and environmentally sustainable; to promote governmental
and support the work, activities and initiatives of regional and subregional environmental organizations having
forums, with the aim of maximizing their involvement in the preparation and an interest in the field
implementation of the decisions of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment of the environment,
Forum. referred to in section
IV, paragraph 5, of
The Malmö Ministerial Declaration clearly acknowledged the role of civil society when it General Assembly
noted that “Civil society plays a critically important role in addressing environmental issues” resolution 2997
(2000 Malmö Declaration 2000 and Governing Council decision SSVII.5 adopted in 2002). (XXVII), may designate
Since 2000, UNEP has been organizing a yearly Global Civil Society Forum, in conjunction representatives to
with the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum. This forum sit as observers at
is the main entry point for civil society participation at governance level. The Forum not public meetings of the
only provides a platform to enable civil society organizations to engage with UNEP but Governing Council and
also contributes to building the capacities of civil society organizations in international its subsidiary organs,
environmental negotiations and processes. if any. The Governing
Council shall from time
References to time adopt and revise
when necessary a list
http://www.unep.org/delc/civil_society of such organizations.
UNEP (2004). Natural Allies: UNEP and Civil Society. UNON Printshop, Nairobi

23
 Upon the invitation
of the President or
chairman, as the case
may be, and subject
to the approval of the
Governing Council or
the subsidiary organ
concerned, international
non-governmental
organizations may
take oral statements on
matters within the scope
of their activities."
With regard to “having
an interest in the field of
environment”, the rules
provide as follows:
• “Written statements
provided by international
non-governmental
organizations referred
to in paragraph 1
above, related to items
on the agenda of the
Governing Council or
of its subsidiary organs,
shall be circulated by the
secretariat to members of
the Governing Council
24
D.  Health and the environment
Human health and environmental health are inextricably linked together. An erosion of
environmental health often leads to an erosion of human health. Poor environmental
management exacerbates the incidence and negative health impacts of many natural
occurrences such as floods, droughts and cyclones. Degraded environments also place a
strain on the ability to meet needs for medicines, food and energy – all central to health.
Environmental hazards account for a significant portion of the health risks facing the poor,
and children bear the brunt of this. Although children constitute only 10 per cent of the
world’s population, they suffer 40 per cent of the environment-related burden of disease
(WRI and others 2005). This burden of disease is closely linked to inadequate environmental
management practices and the lack of opportunities available to poor people.
As a statement of their full acknowledgement of the links between health and the
environment, Canada, the United States of America, UNEP and WHO launched the Health
and Environment Initiative (HELI) at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development
in Johannesburg, South Africa.
HELI encourages countries to see health and environment links as integral to economic
development. Understanding the links between environmental hazards and health is
fundamental to the development of a good public health, environment and economic policy.
A wide range of scientific knowledge exists on the links between environmental threats and
human health.
That knowledge base also provides us with methods for evaluating and assessing the health
impacts of hazards, from water contamination, pesticide misuse and improper waste
disposal, to air pollution emitted by cooking fires, industry, and vehicles. That knowledge,
unfortunately, does not have a direct bearing on decision-making. Consequently, the social,
economic and environmental costs are enormous in terms of death, illness and disability;
loss of income and productivity; health care expenditures; the quality of our ecosystems and
their impact on human well-being.
The objectives of HELI are as follows: or of the subsidiary
organ concerned in the
• To identify key policy decisions affecting the environment and health quantities and in the
• To disseminate scientific knowledge on the links between the environment and languages in which the
health statements were made
• To promote the use of decision-support methodologies available to the secretariat
• To share experience on policy interventions for distribution.”
• To strengthen the capacity of Governments and the importance of health in decision-
making. The first Global Women’s
Assembly on Environment:
References Women as the Voice for the
Environment (WAVE) was
AMCEN/UNEP (2006). Africa Environment Outlook: Our Environment, Our Wealth held at the headquarters of
Earthprint Limited, London. UNEP in Nairobi, Kenya,
http://www.unep.org/delc/Themes/health_environment.asp from 11 to 13 October
2004. The meeting was
E.  Gender and the environment attended by some 150
In Africa, women interact with the environment every day as they carry clean water, fetch participants from 65
firewood, and grow food. Such close proximity with nature leaves them with a wealth of countries.
indigenous knowledge that has endured for generations. It is no wonder that Kofi Annan,
Secretary-General of the United Nations, has said “Investing in women is the best strategy “Gender equality is more
for sustainable development.” The role of women in the management and use of natural than a goal in itself. It is a
resources cannot be overvalued. precondition for meeting
the challenge of reducing
Gender differences and inequalities influence the extent and nature of almost every form of poverty, promoting
environmental encounter in use and impact. Accordingly, there is a need for broad- based, sustainable development
sustainable development initiatives that will give men and women the opportunity to build and building good
their capacity, lessen their vulnerability and diversify their income sources. governance.”
Among the environmental problems affecting women are deforestation, water pollution and Kofi Annan, United Nations
air pollution. Women are often exposed to these environmental hazards during their labour- Secretary-General
intensive interactions with the environment. It is very important for society to recognize

25
 the full impact of environmental degradation on women. This understanding will help to
prevent impoverishment, lighten the burden on women and improve their health status.

It is of crucial importance that women be able to participate fully in environmental

management This participation should include the involvement of local women as resource
persons and experts on the relevant environmental panels and other forums dealing with
the environment in particular and sustainable development in general.

References
UNEP Global Women’s Assembly on Environment: Women as the voice for the environment
(WAVE). Action plan recommendations and project ideas. Available on:
http://www.unep.org/delc/Civil%5FSociety/WAVE/

26
F.  Youth and the environment “No one is born a good
citizen; no nation is born
Today’s global youth population, ranging in age from 15 to 24 years, is an estimated 1.03 a democracy. Rather,
billion, or 18 per cent of the people inhabiting the Earth. The majority of these young both are processes that
men and women live in developing countries, and their numbers are expected to increase continue to evolve over
well into the twenty-first century. The median age of Africa is 18, making Africa the most a lifetime. Young people
youthful continent in the world. Africa’s young people therefore have a critical role to play must be included from
in environmental affairs. Their imagination, ideals and energies are vital for sustainable birth. A society that cuts
development on the continent. off from its youth severs its
lifeline.’
Kofi Annan, United
Nations Secretary-General

“The one common

undertaking and universal
instrument of the great
majority of the human
race is the United Nations.
A patient, constructive
long-term use of its
potentialities can bring a
real and secure peace to
the world.”
Trygve Lie, first United
Nations Secretary-
General, 1946­–1952

The problems of young men and women, as well as their vision and aspirations, are an
essential element of the challenges facing today’s societies and future generations. The
27
General Assembly:
The United Nations
General Assembly is one
of the six principal organs
of the United Nations. It
is made up of all United
Nations Member States
and meets in regular
yearly sessions under a
president elected from
among the representatives.
“We have too much
in common, too great
a sharing of interests
and too much that we
might lose together, for
ourselves and succeeding
generations, never to
weaken in our efforts to
turn simple human values
into the firm foundation
on which we may live
together in peace”
Dag Hammarskjold,
second United Nations
Secretary-General
(1953–-1961) 
28
deterioration of the natural environment is one of the principal concerns of young people
worldwide as it has direct implications for their well-being now and in the future. While
every segment of society is responsible for maintaining the environmental integrity of the
community, youth have a special interest in a healthy environment because they will be the
ones to inherit it. The involvement of youth in environment and development decision-
making is critical to the implementation of policies of sustainable development.
It is the vision of UNEP to “foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who
will better influence decision-making processes and act responsibly to create a sustainable
world.” To this end it has established Tunza, a long‑term strategy for youth, named from
the Swahili word for “care”. The implementation of the Tunza strategy in the region aims
at including all schools, children and youth-related organizations working with UNEP in a
revamped umbrella network for young people and the environment.
In May 2006, UNEP organized a youth conference for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, as a
parallel event during the eleventh session of AMCEN. The conference gave birth to the
Africa Youth Environment Network and also witnessed the launch of Africa Environment
Outlook for Youth, published by UNEP. This book was exclusively written by young people
from 41 African countries.
The AEO-for-Youth publication combined the scientific information in AEO with
illustrations, brief case studies, poems, photos, quotations and opinions on environmental
issues submitted by African youngsters in a youth-friendly format. The AEO-for-Youth
network is now an integral part of the broader youth environment network.
Sustained and informed youth participation in environmental matters can be achieved
through a concerted strategic effort. As African youth struggle for a better tomorrow,
their efforts are often hampered by a series of challenges such as conflict, famine, acute
unemployment and AIDS. Faced with such challenges, young people find it difficult to
slot the environment into their list of priorities. This trend, however, is changing as young
people in Africa reach out to one another and to UNEP, and other organizations.
As part of this strategy, UNEP organizes bi-annual Tunza global youth conferences that “Education is the most
bring together youth from all over the world to deliberate together on environmental issues. powerful weapon, which
During these conferences, Tunza youth advisors are elected whose main role is to advise you can use to change the
UNEP on youth issues. world.”
Nelson Mandela African
References Statesman and South
World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond. Available on: Africa’s President 1994
http://www.un.org/events/youth98/backinfo/ywpa2000.htm - 1999
Tunza Strategy. Available on:
http://www.unep.org/tunza/youth “The sanctity of all life
UNEP (2005). Africa Environment Outlook for Youth: Our Region, Our Life. UNON on earth should find
Printshop, Nairobi. expression in all our
actions: In understanding
that human wealth and
G.  Environmental education and training
economic development
The role of education goes beyond informing, to prompting behavioural change. Education ultimately derive from
is not just a transfer of information, but also a transfer of values. This proactive role of and depend upon the
education places it at the heart of the UNEP mandate of inspiring, informing and enabling resources of the Earth;
nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future in seeing economic
generations. development and care
for the environment
In December 2002, resolution 57/254 on the United Nations Decade of Education for as compatible,
Sustainable Development (2005–2014) was adopted by the United Nations General interdependent
Assembly. The overall goal of the Decade is to integrate the values inherent in sustainable and necessary; in
development into all aspects of learning to encourage changes in behaviour that allow for a knowing that economic
more sustainable and just society for all. The Decade affirms the pivotal role of education in development can help
sustainable development. solve environmental
problems only if it is
accompanied by an
attitude of responsibility

29
and stewardship for the
Earth; and in knowing
that the key to socially
sustainable development
is the participation,
organization, education
and empowerment of
people.”
Elizabeth Dowdeswell,
UNEP Executive Director,
1993–1998

“I dream of the realization

of the unity of Africa,
whereby its leaders
combine in their efforts
to solve the problems of
this continent. I dream of
our vast deserts, of our
The Education and Training Unit of UNEP promotes attitudes and value systems that
forests, of all our great
influence environmentally ethical behaviour. Environmental education seeks to develop
wildernesses.”
understanding and skills that enable people to participate as active and informed citizens in
Nelson Mandela, the development of an ecologically sustainable and socially just society.
African statesman and
South Africa’s President UNEP environmental education and training activities seek to promote innovative,
1994–1999 action-oriented, and value-based education for sustainable development by ensuring that
environmental considerations are taken into account. These activities are geared towards
developing and strengthening environmental education and training initiatives to address all
institutions, Governments, segments, and ages in society. In addition to producing a number
of publications and products related to environmental education, the Environmental
30
Education and Training Unit has conducted training for 45 African journalists on the
Millennium Development Goals and environmental reporting. It has also formulated and
implemented a programme for educators and students and other key stakeholders, known
as Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in Africa (MESA).

References
http://www.unep.org/training

31
32
III.  United Nations and the environment

When?

T
he United Nations came into being in October 1945 with 51 States signing the “If policies remain
United Nations Charter. unchanged, political
will found wanting and
What? sufficient funding proves
to be elusive, then Africa
Currently the United Nations consists of 192 Member States, which have committed themselves
may take a far more
to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Member States
unsustainable track that
accept obligations under the United Nations Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic
will see an erosion of its
principles of international relations. Chapter I of the United Nations Charter sets forth the
nature-based wealth and
purposes of the United Nations, including the important provisions of the maintenance of
a slide into ever deeper
international peace and security.
poverty.”
The purposes of the United Nations are: Achim Steiner, UNEP
Executive Director
1. To maintain international peace and security and, to that end: to take effective collective
measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of
acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and
“Industry and global
in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement
institutions must appreciate
of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
that ensuring economic
2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal
justice, equity and
rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to
ecological integrity are of
strengthen universal peace;
greater value than profits
3. To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic,
at any cost.”
social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect
for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, Wangari Maathai, Nobel
sex, language, or religion; and Peace Laureate 2004
4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these
common ends.
33
“All our efforts to
defeat poverty and
pursue sustainable
development will be in
vain if environmental
degradation and natural
resource depletion
continue unabated”
Kofi Annan, United
Nations Secretary-General
“The world’s poorest
people are the most
dependent on fertile
soil, clean water and
healthy ecosystems for
their livelihoods. Investing
in sound environmental
management to improve
these resources provides
direct economic benefits
for the poor along with
the tools they need to lift
themselves out of poverty.”
Klaus Töpfer, UNEP
Executive Director,
1998–2006
34
http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/chapter1.htm
The United Nations has six main organs. Five of them are based at United Nations
headquarters in New York. They are: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the
Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat. The sixth organ
– the International Court of Justice – is based in the Hague in the Netherlands.
The United Nations facilitates awareness-raising about the environment and the
development and implementation of MEAs.
www.un.org
A.  Environment Management Group (EMG)
The environment is a crosscutting issue that is of direct concern to all United Nations
organizations, programmes and projects. EMG aims to identify and tackle, through
collective action, specific problems and issues on the international environment and
human settlements agenda that require enhanced inter-agency cooperation within a given
time-frame. To this end, the Group endeavours to secure the effective and collaborative
involvement of the relevant United Nations system agencies, programmes and organs, and
other potential partners. It also seeks to provide a forum for an early discussion and sharing
of information on emerging problems and issues in the field of environment and human
settlements, geared at finding, through dialogue and collective efforts, an effective and
coordinated approach to their resolution.
http://www.unemg.org
B.  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
When?
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established by the United
Nations General Assembly in 1972 following the first United Nations Conference on the
Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972.
Why? “To be effective,
investments must be
The mission of UNEP is to “provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the implemented and driven
environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations to improve their quality of life at the grassroots level
without compromising that of the future generations.” by communities, local
governments and the
The mandate of UNEP was reinforced further by the 2005 United Nations World Summit private sector. The poor
which, amongst other things, recognized the need for more efficient environmental activities must have secure rights
in the United Nations system, including enhanced coordination, better policy advice and and access to natural
guidance, improved scientific knowledge, assessment and cooperation and more compliance resources and a greater
with treaties. voice in decisions over
the management of the
What does UNEP do? land, water and biological
resources that support their
•
Assessing global, regional and national environmental conditions and trends livelihoods’
•
Developing international agreements and national environmental instruments
•
Supporting implementation of those agreements and instruments Kemal Dervis,
•
Strengthening institutions for sound management of the environment Administrator of UNDP
•
Integrating economic development and environmental protection
•
Facilitating the transfer of knowledge and technology for sustainable development
•
Encouraging new partnerships and mind-sets within civil society and the private
sector
www.unep.org

UNEP has five priority areas:

1. Environmental assessment and early warning

2. Development of policy instruments
3. Enhanced coordination with environmental conventions
4. Technology transfer
5. Support to Africa

35
 How does UNEP work?
UNEP has eight divisions to promote and facilitate sound environmental management for
sustainable development:

Division of Early Warning and Assessment

The international community needs to be able to evaluate, predict and respond to existing
and emerging needs if it is to be able effectively to tackle the environmental issues of
the twenty-first century. UNEP provides access to environmental data and information
and helps Governments to use environmental information for planning for sustainable
development.

The flagship assessment process within UNEP is the Global Environment Outlook (GEO),
produced in cooperation with a network of national, subregional, regional and global
partners. These partners feed into the GEO process and into other assessments including the
“For too long economics Global International Waters Assessment and the Millennium Ecosystems Assessment.
and environment have
seemed like players UNEP helps Governments to anticipate, respond to and manage disasters which have been
on rival teams. There caused by environmental factors, or which have profound effects on the environment.
have been a lot of nasty UNEP also assesses the environmental consequences of armed conflict, and provides post-
challenges and far too conflict clean-up and guidance on damage limitation.
many own goals. We www.unep.org/dewa/index.asp
need to make these two
sides of the development Division of Environmental Policy Implementation
coin team players, players
UNEP works to develop policy guidelines on major environmental issues such as the
on the same side.”
increasing scarcity of fresh water, the degradation of the marine environment and the
Achim Steiner, UNEP pollution of the atmosphere. UNEP has also initiated a ministerial-level intergovernmental
Executive Director. process to strengthen environmental governance and reinvigorate global commitment to
sustainable development.

36
UNEP works with Governments, the private sector and civil society to protect natural “A renaissance in
resources worldwide. As well as supporting assessments and developing institutional and environmental policy does
legal capacity, UNEP promotes dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders, the exchange not come in a vacuum.
of best practices and success stories, the transfer of knowledge and technology, and the It emerges as a result
establishment of demonstration projects. of collective efforts of
www.unep.org/depi Governments, civil society
organizations and private
business. It needs the
Division of Technology, Industry and Economics
long-term commitment and
UNEP encourages decision-makers in Governments, local authorities and industry to vision of men and women.
develop and implement policies, strategies and practices that are cleaner and safer; make It needs people who
efficient use of natural resources; ensure environmentally sound management of chemicals; are and continue to be
reduce pollution and risks to humans and the environment; enable the implementation of Champions of the Earth.”
conventions and international agreements, and take account of environmental costs. Klaus Töpfer, Executive
Director UNEP,
The strategy employed by UNEP is to influence informed decision- making through 1998­–2006
partnerships with other international organizations, governmental authorities, business
and industry bodies and non-governmental organizations. This strategy also involves
offering support for the implementation of conventions and building capacity in developing
countries.
www.unep.fr

Division of Regional Cooperation

UNEP is represented across the globe by six regional offices:

• Africa: Nairobi, Kenya (www.unep.org/roa)

• Asia and the Pacific: Bangkok, Thailand (www.roap.unep.org)
• Europe: Geneva, Switzerland (www.unep.ch/roe)
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Mexico City, Mexico (www.pnuma.org)
• North America: Washington DC, United States of America (www.rona.unep.org)
• West Asia: Manama, Bahrain (www.unep.org.bh).

37
“When spider webs unite,
they can tie up a lion.”
Ethiopian proverb
“Attaining the Millennium
Development Goals will
depend increasingly on
the ability of Governments
and their local authorities
and civil society partners
to come up with concrete
solutions to make our cities
and towns more equitable
and inclusive.”
Mrs Anna Tibaijuka,
Executive Director,
UN-Habitat
“Peace we want because
there is another war to
fight against poverty,
disease and ignorance.”
Indira Gandhi,
India’s Prime Minister
1966 – 1977,
1980 - 1984
38
Through the regional offices, UNEP seeks:
• To gather information and data that will bring regional perspectives to the
development of UNEP policies and programmes;
• To present UNEP global policies to the regions and enlist support for those policies
at all levels;
• To implement and further develop the relevant parts of its global programmes
through initiating, coordinating, and catalysing regional and subregional cooperation
and action in response to environmental problems and emergencies;
• To assist in the development of policies and programmes on global and regional
environmental issues between and within Governments in the regions;
• To provide advisory services to help Governments translate global commitments into
national action for the protection and enhancement of the environment;
• To raise public awareness of environmental problems and bring consistency to
environmental action;
• To promote cooperation between UNEP, non-governmental organizations and the
private sector; and
• To broaden the UNEP constituency.
www.unep.org/drc
Division of Environmental Law and Conventions
One of the most significant achievements of UNEP has been its role in facilitating the work
of the multilateral environment agreements (MEAs). UNEP hosts several environmental
convention secretariats including:
• Ozone Secretariat
• Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES)
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Convention on Migratory Species
 • Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous and Other Wastes “Clean up the World
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants mobilizes people
• Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent.* around a powerful idea
– taking the challenge of
* Co-hosted with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) environment and sustainable
development to our front
MEAs are of enormous importance on the global environmental scene. As a key player on doors, our backyards, and
this scene, UNEP seeks: everywhere else around the
globe. It comes with another
• To identify and encourage important links between MEAs and develop joint activities idea that UNEP strongly
between them; believes in: that what we
consider waste and rubbish
• To increase collaboration between the various UNEP divisions and MEAs;
today could become a
• To encourage the harmonization of information systems, information exchanges and
resource for tomorrow”
access to information between MEAs;
• To encourage a coordinated approach to capacity-building among MEAs; Achim Steiner, Executive
• To support the implementation and enforcement of the MEAs by their parties. Director, UNEP.
www.unep.org/dec

Division of Communications and Public Information

UNEP has a wide-ranging programme directed at children, youth, sport and the
environment. Conferences, campaigns, painting competitions and other events, together
with environmental literature and a website, are used to educate children and young
adults about sustainable living. UNEP also operates environmental education and training
programmes for all sections of society.

UNEP publications, communication with the media, special events such as World
Environment Day and Clean Up the World, and environmental awards such as Champions
of the Earth, the UNEP Sasakawa Prize and the photographic competition Focus on Your
World, all help to keep the environment in the forefront of the news.

39
United Nations
Millennium
Development Goals:
A set of eight international
development goals for
2015, adopted by the
international community
in the United Nations
Millennium Declaration
in September 2000, and
endorsed by IMF, World
Bank and OECD. They
are: eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger;
achieve universal primary
education; promote
gender equality and
empower women; reduce
child mortality improve
maternal health; combat
HIV and AIDS, malaria
and other diseases;
ensure environmental
sustainability; develop
a global partnership for
development.
40
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972,
to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. World
Environment Day, which is celebrated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal channels
through which the United Nations encourages political attention and action and stimulates
worldwide awareness of the environmental challenges facing us. The many and varied
activities include street rallies, parades, concerts, essay and poster competitions in schools,
tree-planting, campaigns to promote recycling and clean-up efforts, seminars, round-tables
and meetings. World Environment Day is also a multi-media event that inspires thousands
of journalists to write and report on the environment through television documentaries,
photo exhibitions and websites.
The UNEP Regional Office for Africa organizes art, essay and photo competitions involving
school children throughout Kenya, in collaboration with the Kenya organization for
Environmental Education. The objective of this competition is to offer a platform for
school children to communicate their feelings about the impacts of human activities on
their environment. The competition builds on partnerships with schools and community
organizations to spread environmental awareness and good practices in caring for our
planet.
Another major event is the tree‑planting exercise at the Aberdares range in Kenya. For the
last five years, UNEP has contributed to the rehabilitation of Kenya’s degraded catchment
areas in the Aberdare range forest. This is part of the responsible consumer initiative,
through which UNEP plants a quantity of indigenous trees that matches the number of
reams of paper that are used at its headquarters in Nairobi.
Clean Up the World is a community‑based environmental programme that inspires and
empowers individuals and communities from every corner of the globe to clean up, repair
and conserve their environment. Clean up the World has demonstrated that people across
the planet are willing to act to help protect and care for their environment. The campaign
has touched a nerve in people from every walk of life, every social and economic group,
every age group and culture.
Every year since 1993, the Clean up the World campaign, held in conjunction with UNEP,
mobilizes millions of volunteers in more than 120 countries around the globe, making
it one of the largest community-based environment projects in the world. Through
encouraging people to adopt a direct approach to environmental management by taking
responsibility for their own environment and raising awareness about the crippling impact
of waste on our lives, our health and our future, Clean up the World allows communities
to develop a sense of ownership of their environment. Clean Up the World also acts as
the vehicle for a broad range of environmental activities including reforestation projects,
environmental education, erosion control, tree-planting, concerts for the environment, and
the establishment of compost and recycling centres.
http://www.cleanuptheworld.org/en

Champions of the Earth

Champions of the Earth is an international environment award established in 2004. It is
presented each year by UNEP to seven outstanding environmental leaders, or groups, who
have made a significant and recognized contribution globally or regionally to the protection
and sustainable management of the earth’s environment. The Champions of the Earth
should be instrumental in bringing environmental issues to the forefront of political action

UNEP Sasakawa Prize

The UNEP Sasakawa Prize is awarded every year to individuals who have an established
track record of environmental achievement and the potential to make outstanding
contributions to the protection and management of the environment consistent with the
policies and objectives of UNEP. For more than 20 years, the UNEP Sasakawa Prize has been
a mark of excellence in the environmental field. Between 1984 and 1993 the UNEP Sasakawa
Prize was awarded to 30 individuals. This prize, worth $200,000, encourages environmental
efforts that are sustainable and capable of being duplicated in the long term. It rewards
innovation, groundbreaking research and ideas, and extraordinary grassroots initiatives
from around the world.
www.unep.org/dcpi

41
 Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established as a joint international effort to
help solve global environmental problems. The GEF trust fund was established by a World
Bank resolution on 14 March 1991, while the facility was formally established in October
1991. UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank are the implementing agencies.

GEF provides new and additional grants and concessional funding to meet the incremental
costs of measures to achieve global environmental benefits in six focal areas, namely:

• Protection of biological diversity

• Reduction of greenhouse gases
• Protection of international waters
• Prevention and reduction of releases of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
• Reduction of land degradation, primarily desertification and deforestation
• Protection of the ozone layer.

There are currently 176 States involved in the Facility.

http://gefweb.org
http://dgef.unep.org

UNEP milestones
“Happiness is not in
the mere possession of
money; it lies in the joy of
achievement, in the thrill
of creative effort.”
Franklin D Roosevelt,
US President 1933 - 1945
• 1972: the establishment of UNEP following the United Nations Conference on the
Human Environment
• 1973: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES)
• 1975: Mediterranean Action Plan: the first of 13 regional action plans under the
UNEP Regional Seas Programme
• 1979: Convention on Migratory Species
• 1985: Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
• 1987: Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

42
• 1988: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) established to assess
information related to human-induced climate change
• 1989: Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes
• 1991: Establishment of the Global Environment Facility
• 1992: Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 issued by the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (Earth Summit)
• 1992: Framework Convention on Climate Change
• 1992: Convention on Biological Diversity
• 1994: Convention to Combat Desertification
• 1995: Global Programme of Action (GPA) launched to protect the marine
environment from land-based sources of pollution
• 1998: Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC)
• 1999: Launch of the United Nations Global Compact
• 2000: Adoption of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on the issue of genetically
modified organisms
• 2000: Malmö Declaration: a call to action by the first Global Ministerial Environment
Forum
• 2001: Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
• 2001: Third IPCC assessment report detailing the extent of human-induced global
warming.
• 2002: World Summit on Sustainable Development reaffirming the central role taken
by UNEP in international efforts to achieve sustainable development
• 2005: Adoption of the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-
building by the UNEP Governing Council mandating national level support to
developing countries
• 2005: Implementation of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change
• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment highlighting the importance of ecosystems to
human well-being, and the extent of ecosystem decline.
• Agreement of the 2005 World Summit to explore a more coherent institutional
framework system for international environmental governance

43
 UNEP-INFOTERRA

INFOTERRA is the global environmental information exchange network of the United

Nations Environment Programme. The network operates through a system of government-
designated national focal points, which at present number 177. An INFOTERRA national
focal point is essentially a national environmental information centre, usually located in the
ministry or agency responsible for environmental protection. The primary function of each
centre is to provide a national environmental information service. 

INFOTERRA was given its mandate at the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human
Environment which recommended the establishment of a mechanism for the exchange
of environmental information and experiences between countries. In response to this
recommendation, UNEP established the INFOTERRA network (initially known as IRS
– the International Referral System) and Governments were requested to designate a
national focal point to coordinate INFOTERRA activities at country level. The 1992 Rio
Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) reiterated the importance
of information for decision-making and asked for the INFOTERRA network to be
strengthened with a view to improving information availability (Agenda 21, chapter 40). 

At national level, INFOTERRA focal points provide a wide range of environmental

information products and services, including environmental bibliographies; directories of
sources of information; question and answer services; environmental awareness leaflets and
access to internet services. 

The INFOTERRA secretariat at UNEP headquarters, Nairobi, supports the national focal
points by providing technical services and publishing reference tools such as the EnVoc
multilingual thesaurus of environmental terms; the International Directory of Sources;
training manuals; sourcebooks and promotional materials. A capacity‑building programme
provides assistance to focal points in developing countries. 
www.unep.org/infoterra

44
C.  Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
FAO was founded in 1943 by 44 Governments. It leads international efforts to defeat hunger
while focusing on the environment. FAO acts as a neutral forum where all States meet as
equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and
information. It helps developing countries and countries with economies in transition to
modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries and it covers a wide range of
environmental activities such as environmental assessment, environmental information
technology and environmental monitoring.

Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture are crucial in feeding the world’s
population. They are the raw material that farmers and plant breeders use to improve the
quality and productivity of our crops. The future of agriculture depends on international
cooperation and on the open exchange of the crops and their genes that farmers all over the
world have developed and exchanged over 10,000 years. No country is sufficient unto itself;
all depend on crops and the genetic diversity within these crops from other countries and
regions.

In November 2001 FAO spearheaded the adoption of the International Treaty on Plant
Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. This legally binding treaty, which is in
harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, covers all plant genetic resources
relevant to food and agriculture. The treaty is vital in ensuring the continued availability of
the plant genetic resources that countries will need to feed their people.

The FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture provides
an agreed international framework for the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity.
FAO is also part of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), a forum that seeks to
facilitate the implementation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF).

45
 Collaborative Partnership on Forests
FAO provides secretariat services for the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, an innovative
partnership of 14 major forest-related international organizations, institutions and
convention secretariats. It was established in April 2001, following the recommendation of
the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC). The other 13 members
are the following:

• Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

• FAO
• International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)
• International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
• Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Secretariat of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF)
• Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)
• Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
• World Bank
• World Conservation Union (IUCN).

The objectives of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests are to support the work of
the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and its member countries and to enhance
cooperation and coordination on forest issues.

An important aspect of environmental and natural resources management is the availability

of genuine (static or dynamic) geo-referenced data and information on these resources.
Remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), agro- meteorological and other
environmental observations can assist in acquiring and processing such data, which can
46
then be used to deal with a variety of key issues related to environmental and natural
resources management, such as food production and food security, coastal zone monitoring,
desertification, biological diversity and energy and climate change impact. Geo-referenced
data from other sources, for example, social and economic data, can also be combined with
such environmental data to provide more extensive analyses.

FAO geo-information, monitoring and assessment activities include all aspects of geo-
information data acquisition, analysis and dissemination, including the activities themselves
and the tools and techniques used in those activities. Two examples of these activities are the
so-called “Africover project” and the ARTEMIS environmental monitoring information system.
There are also others such as the standardization of geographical data, the use of various
software tools such as WinDisp, and the website METART, where data from the ARTEMIS
system can be viewed and analysed in what is virtually real time. Specific data sets, such as global
climatic maps and other agro-meteorological and GIS databases, are also available.
www.fao.org
www.fao.org/forestry/site/2082/en “Natural hazards are a
part of life. But hazards
D.  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) only become disasters
when people’s lives and
UNDP was founded in 1965 and is the United Nations global development implementation
livelihoods are swept
agency. It works in partnerships with Governments and people. There are UNDP offices in
away…. let us remind
166 countries, working with these countries to help them find their own solutions to global
ourselves that we can and
and national development challenges.
must reduce the impact
of disasters by building
The UNDP global knowledge network provides capacity development and policy support
sustainable communities
throughout every country in Africa, in areas ranging from democratic governance and
that have long-term
peace-building to private sector development and integration into world trade. The
capacity to live with risk.”
programmes reflect the African countries’ own priorities and are carried out through a wide
range of partnerships with government leaders, civil society and the private sector. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General of the
Through its interaction with Governments, civil society organizations and development United Nations
partners, UNDP plays a major role in the formulation of poverty reduction strategy papers
47
“In order to be prepared
and to take action to
meet the risk posed by
disasters, it is imperative
to be informed of the risks
involved, and of possible
options to mitigate the
risk.”
Michel Jarraud
Secretary-General of
WMO
48
(PRSPs), and in monitoring of implementation of these papers, as well as monitoring
progress towards the achievement of the MDGs. UNDP supports the efforts of African
countries to eradicate poverty by building coalitions with the poor themselves, and also
with African Governments, think-tanks, those involved in African development, and African
integration institutions.
Environment protection and regeneration are a strategic component of the UNDP
commitment to poverty reduction in Africa. One of the aims of UNDP is to build capacity
to deal with environmental issues in the context of development. The issues of energy,
the environment, climate change, loss of biodiversity and ozone layer depletion cannot be
tackled unilaterally. The focus must be on promoting sustainable environment management
and energy development through capacity-building in the formulation of national policy
and regulatory frameworks and in management and policy implementation.
www.undp.org
E.  United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN‑Habitat)
UN-Habitat, the United Nations agency for human settlements, was founded in 1978 after
the Habitat I meeting in Vancouver, Canada. It is mandated by the United Nations General
Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the
goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat runs two major worldwide campaigns
– the Global Campaign on Urban Governance, and the Global Campaign for Secure Tenure.
Through these campaigns and in other ways as well, the agency focuses on a range of issues
and special projects which it helps implement.
The Shelter and Sustainable Human Settlements Development Division of UN-Habitat
coordinates the agency’s global advocacy functions. The departments within it that focus
on urban environmental issues include the Urban Development Branch, which runs the
UN-Habitat Global Campaign on Urban Governance, the Safer Cities programme, the
Sustainable Cities programme and a programme called Localizing Agenda 21, which seeks to
ensure that crucial environmental issues are brought into urban development planning.
The Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP) and Localizing Agenda 21 help cities perform
their vital role in social and economic development by promoting better environmental
policies and programmes aimed at reducing pollution and improving urban environmental
management.

SCP is a joint UN-Habitat-UNEP facility established in the early 1990s to build capacities
in urban environmental planning and management. The programme is directed at urban
local authorities and their partners. It encourages participation from a wide range of stake-
holders. SCP and its sister programme, Localizing Agenda 21, are now operating in over 30
countries worldwide. SCP was founded in the early 1990s to support the missions of UN-
Habitat and UNEP. Its first phase concluded in 2001, and the second phase covers the period
2002–2007. It aims to provide municipalities and local partners with a facility to package
urban environmental planning and management approaches, technologies and expertise in
this area.

The environmental planning and management approach taken by SPC promotes a city
management process that is based on the belief that sustainable cities are engines of growth
and are fundamental to social and economic development. Environmental degradation
adversely affects economic efficiency and social equity, and hence obstructs the development
potential of cities. Environmental degradation, however, is not inevitable; what is required
is a proactive management approach built on an understanding of the complex interactions
between development and the environment.
www.unhabitat.org

49
The United Nations
Decade of Education
for Sustainable
Development (2005-
2014) was launched on
March 1, 2005 at United
Nations Headquarters
in New York taking as
its main objective the
task of encouraging the
Governments of member
States to include the
concept of sustainable
development in their
education policies and in
every aspect of learning in
order to foster changes in
behaviour that can create
more sustainable future
in terms of environmental
integrity, economic
viability, and a just society
for present and future
generations.

50
F. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was
founded in November 1945. The work of UNESCO is in the fields of education, natural sciences,
social and human sciences, culture, communication and information. It has long been involved
in activities related to sustainable development, contributing to many of the activities generated
by Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. The contribution of UNESCO to the Earth Summit was based
on its mandate in the fields of education, science, culture and communication. UNESCO places
high priority on reorienting educational systems and curricula towards dealing with issues of
sustainable development, central to which are the areas of environmental degradation, acquiring
and sharing knowledge, rural development and changes in production and consumption
patterns. UNESCO covers such diverse fields as biodiversity and ecology, fresh water, oceans,
earth sciences, coastal regions, small islands and natural disaster reduction.

The ecology-related programmes within UNESCO have an interdisciplinary research agenda

spanning the ecological, social and economic dimensions of biodiversity loss and reduction.
Its geosciences programmes target problems within society that are related to hydro-geology,
paleo-ecosystems, and climate change. It also promotes the role of earth sciences and global
earth observation technology in sustainable development.

The Man and Biosphere programme (MAB) was launched in 1970 and initiated work in
14 project areas covering different types of ecosystems, ranging from mountains to sea,
from rural to urban, as well as dealing with more social aspects such as environmental
perception. The work of MAB over the years has concentrated on the development of
the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). The biosphere reserve concept was
developed initially in 1974 and was substantially revised in 1995 when the UNESCO
General Conference adopted the Statutory Framework and the Seville Strategy for Biosphere
Reserves. Today, with more than 480 sites in over 100 countries, WNBR provides context-
specific opportunities to combine scientific knowledge and governance modalities to reduce
biodiversity loss, improve livelihoods, enhance social, economic and cultural conditions
for environmental sustainability, thus contributing to the pursuit of the Millennium
Development Goals, in particular Goal 7 on environmental sustainability.
http://www.unesco.ru/eng/pages/bythemes/mab.php
51
 UNESCO also seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural
and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection
of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
www.unesco.org

G.  United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

UNIDO was set up in 1966 and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1985.
As part of the United Nations common system, UNIDO has responsibility for promoting
industrialization throughout the developing world. UNIDO helps developing countries
and countries with economies in transition in their fight against marginalization in today’s
globalized world. It mobilizes knowledge, skills, information and technology to promote
productive employment, a competitive economy and a sound environment. UNIDO strives
to improve living conditions and promote global prosperity through offering tailor-made
solutions for the sustainable industrial development of developing countries and countries
with economies in transition. It aims to fight poverty and marginalization through
sustainable industrial development. UNIDO has a number of successful environmentally
focused projects in Africa, including a national programme on cleaner production, a
programme on water pollution control and biodiversity protection in the Gulf of Guinea,
a project on environmentally sound industrial development in Madagascar and another on
cleaner leather production in Africa.
www.unido.org

H.  World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

WMO grew out of the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was
founded in 1873. Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United
Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related
geophysical sciences. WMO is the voice of authority within the United Nations system
on the state and behaviour of the earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the
climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

52
To this end, the WMO Atmospheric Research and Environment Programme coordinates
and stimulates research on the composition of the atmosphere, the physics and chemistry
of clouds, weather modification techniques, tropical meteorology processes and weather
forecasting, focusing on extreme weather events and their social and economic impacts.
In addition it co-ordinates the global monitoring of greenhouse gases, the ozone layer,
major atmospheric pollutants, and urban environment and meteorological studies. Natural
disaster risk reduction is central to the mission of WMO, and the national meteorological
and hydrological services of its 187 members.

WMO, through its scientific and technical programmes, its network of global meteorological
centres, regional specialized meteorological centres and national meteorological and
hydrological services, provides scientific and technical services for observing, detecting,
monitoring, predicting and providing early warnings of a wide range of weather, climate
and water related hazards. Through its coordinated approach and working together with its
partners, WMO is able to provide effective and timely responses to the information needs
and requirements of the disaster risk management community.

Today, about three-quarters of all natural disasters are in some way related to weather, climate,
water and their extremes. Research in the meteorological and hydrological sciences, however,
shows that the impacts of natural hazards can be reduced through prevention and preparedness.

WMO is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 187 countries and

territories. Together with UNEP, it forms the secretariat of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC).
www.wmo.ch
www.ipcc.ch

I.  World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO is the United Nations specialized agency for health. It was established on 7 April 1948.
The objective of WHO is to enable all the world’s people to attain the highest possible level
of health. Health is defined in the WHO constitution as a state of complete physical, mental
and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
53
 WHO is governed by 192 member States through the World Health Assembly, which itself
is composed of representatives from WHO member States. The main tasks of the World
Health Assembly are to approve the WHO programme and the budget for the following
biennium and to decide major policy questions.

The Health and Environment Linkages Initiative (HELI) is a global effort by WHO and
UNEP to support action by policy makers within developing countries on environmental
threats to health. Environmental hazards are responsible for an estimated 25 per cent of the
total burden of disease worldwide, and nearly 35 per cent in regions such as sub-Saharan
Africa.

HELI encourages countries to treat health and environment linkages as integral to economic
development. HELI believes that what may be termed ecosystem services are essential to
54
human health and well-being; these services include climate regulation, the provision and
replenishment of air, water, food and energy sources, and the creation of healthy living and
working environments. HELI activities include the establishment of pilot projects within
individual countries and the refinement of assessment tools to support decision-making.
www.who.int

J.  World Food Programme (WFP)

Scheduled to go into operation in 1963 as a three-year experimental programme, WFP
was plunged into the deep end as an earthquake hit Iran in September 1962, followed
by a hurricane in Thailand in October. At the same time newly independent Algeria was
resettling 5 million refugees. All this brought home the crucial importance of dealing with
the problem of hunger. The number of food emergencies has been rising over the past two
decades, from an average of 15 per year during the 1980s to more than 30 per year since the
turn of the millennium. Whether the cause is natural or of human origin, the fact remains
that hunger is one of the major threats to survival.

Natural disasters such as floods, tropical storms and long periods of drought are on the
increase, with calamitous consequences for food security in poor, developing countries.
Drought is now the single most common cause of food shortages in the world; in many
countries natural conditions that are already harsh are made worse by climate change.
In addition, poor farming practices, deforestation, overcropping and overgrazing are
exhausting the earth’s fertility and spreading the causes of hunger. Increasingly, the world’s
fertile farmland is under threat from erosion, salination and desertification.

WFP reaches out to the hungry through emergency operations that are based on
comprehensive assessments of their food needs, working with over 1,100 international and
local NGOs to distribute food aid. WFP firmly believes that, as there is an abundance of
food to feed the world’s population, the cycle of poverty and hunger can be broken by the
distribution of food aid.
www.wfp.org

55
 K.  United Nations campaigns and inter-agency networking
Millennium Declaration

The historic Millennium Declaration resulted from the largest ever gathering of world leaders,
which began on 6 September 2000 in New York. The Declaration contains a statement of values,
principles and objectives for the international agenda for the twenty-first century. It also sets
deadlines for many collective actions, including the Millennium Development Goals.
www.un.org/millennium

Millennium Development Goals

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are a set of goals that 192 members
of the United Nationshave committed themselves to achieving by the year 2015. These
goals deal with issues such as sustainable development, human population, education,
equity and the elimination of poverty, hunger and disease. While Goal 7 is directly related
to environmental management and conservation, environmental sustainability is also a
prerequisite for the full attainment of all the other goals. Achievement of these goals will
reverse the trends of environmental degradation and ensure closer adherence to MEA
statutes and a more informed appreciation of their ideology.
www.un.org/millenniumgoals

United Nations Development Group

The United Nations Development Group is an instrument for United Nations reform,
created by the Secretary-General in 1997 to improve the effectiveness of United Nations
development at country level. The group brings together the operational agencies, including
UNEP, that are concerned with development.

The United Nations Development Group develops policies and procedures that allow
member agencies to work together in analysing country issues, planning support strategies,

56
implementing support programmes, monitoring results and promoting change. These
initiatives increase the input of the United Nationsin helping countries achieve all the
Millennium Development Goals, including that of poverty reduction.
www.undg.org

United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014)

The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development strives to incorporate
key concepts of development into the educational policies and programmes of the United
Nations, other international agencies, ministries, NGOs, community-based organizations,
research institutions, the media and the private sector. The principles of environmental
education form an essential element of education for sustainable development.
http://portal.unesco.org/education

International Decade for Action, “Water For Life” (2005–2015)

Water is essential for life; it is crucial for sustainable development, including the
preservation of our natural environment and the alleviation of poverty and hunger. Water is
indispensable for human health and well-being.

The United Nations General Assembly in December 2003 proclaimed the years 2005–2015
as the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”. The primary goal of the Water for
Life decade is to promote efforts to ensure that international commitments on water and
water-related issues are fulfilled by 2015. These commitments include the Millennium
Development Goals of halving, by 2015, the number of people without access to safe
drinking water and to put an end to the unsustainable exploitation of water resources. At
the World Summit in Johannesburg in 2002 two further objectives were set: to develop
integrated water resource management and water efficiency plans by 2005 and to halve, by
2015, the number of people who do not have access to basic sanitation.

A major effort is required in this decade to fulfil these commitments and extend access to these
essential services to those people, most of them poor, who are currently deprived of them.

57
 Women play a central role in water provision and management, so special emphasis should
be placed on ensuring their participation and involvement in these development efforts.
Among the issues that are central for the Water for Life decade are: scarcity of water, access
to sanitation and health, water in the context of gender, capacity-building, financing,
valuation, management of integrated water resources, transboundary water issues,
environment and biodiversity, disaster prevention, food and agriculture, pollution and
energy.
www.un.org/waterforlifedecade

58
IV. Development banks and institutions financing
environmental activities

A.  World Bank

T
he World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing
countries around the world. It is made up of two unique development institutions
owned by 184 member countries – the International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). Each
institution plays a different but supportive role in the bank’s mission of global poverty
reduction and the improvement of living standards. IBRD focuses on middle income and
creditworthy poor countries, while IDA focuses on the poorest countries in the world. The
Bank provides low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries for
education, health, infrastructure, communications and many other purposes.

In 2001, the World Bank board of directors endorsed an environment strategy to guide the
Bank’s actions in the environment area, particularly over the next five years. The strategy
entitled “Making sustainable commitments: an environment strategy for the World Bank,”
outlines how the World Bank will work with client countries to help them meet their
environmental challenges and ensure that Bank projects and programmes incorporate
principles of environmental sustainability. The strategy recognizes that sustainable
development, which balances economic development, social cohesion, and environmental
protection, is fundamental to the World Bank’s core objective of lasting poverty alleviation.
(This strategy can be downloaded from the World Bank website)

As one of the three implementing agencies of GEF, the World Bank assists its member
countries conserve and sustainably use their biological diversity, reduce their emissions
of greenhouse gases, manage shared water bodies and reduce their emissions of ozone-
depleting substances by accessing GEF resources to cover the incremental costs of additional
actions on these global issues.
www.worldbank.org
59
 B.  African Development Bank
The African Development Bank is a major financial mechanism for the promotion of
development in Africa. It was established by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in
1964 to promote economic and social development in the region.

The mainstreaming of environmental sustainability in the development of Africa has been a

priority of the bank. Its board approved the new bank group policy on the environment, which
incorporates and redefines the former policy on environmentally sustainable development in
Africa. The new policy acknowledges that, to sustain economic growth in Africa, there is an
urgent need to preserve and enhance the ecological capital that enriches such growth. Two
guidelines relevant to the new policy on the environment were completed and disseminated in
2004, namely the Strategic Impact Assessment Guidelines and the Integrated Environmental and
Social Assessment Guidelines (these guidelines can be downloaded from the bank’s website).
www.afdb.org

C.  Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol

The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol provides funds to
help developing countries comply with their obligations under the Protocol to phase out
the use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) by 2010. ODS are used in refrigeration, foam
extrusion, industrial cleaning, fire extinguishing and fumigation. Countries eligible for this
assistance are those with an annual per capita consumption of ODS of less than 0.3 kg a
year, as defined in Article 5 of the Protocol. They are referred to as Article 5 countries.

The Montreal Protocol was agreed in 1987 after scientists showed that certain human-made
substances were contributing to the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer, which protects life
below from damaging ultraviolet radiation. The Multilateral Fund was established by the
London Amendment to the Protocol in 1990.

The phase-out of ODS will enable the ozone layer to repair itself. The Fund was the first
financial mechanism to be borne from an international treaty. It embodies the principle
60
agreed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 that
countries have a common but differentiated responsibility to protect and manage the global
commons.

In 1986, industrialized countries consumed 86 per cent of the most important ODS, the
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They agreed to contribute to the Fund in order to help Article
5 countries achieve the Protocol’s goals. Article 5 countries committed themselves to joining
the global effort to restore the depleted ozone layer. This global consensus forms the basis
of the operation of the Multilateral Fund that confines the liability of the Fund to costs
essential to the elimination of the use and production of ODS. An important aspect of the
Fund is that it funds only the additional (the so-called “incremental”) costs incurred in
converting to non-ODS technologies.

The Fund is managed by an Executive Committee with an equal representation of seven

industrialized and seven Article 5 countries, which are elected annually by the Meeting of
the Parties. The Committee reports annually to the Meeting of the Parties on its operations.
Financial and technical assistance is provided in the form of grants or concessional loans
and is delivered primarily through four implementing agencies, UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO and
the World Bank.

Up to 20 per cent of the contributions of contributing Parties can also be delivered through
their bilateral agencies in the form of eligible projects and activities.

The Fund is replenished on a three-year basis by the donors. Pledges amounted to US$ 2.1
billion over the period 1991–2005. Funds are used, for example, to finance the conversion
of existing manufacturing processes, train personnel, pay royalties and patent rights on new
technologies, and establish national ozone offices.
www.multilateralfund.org

61
62
V.  International environment-focused
organizations

T
here are many other organizations working for the better management of the
environment. Some of these organizations work exclusively on environmental
issues, while others are more committed to development issues, where environment
management is regarded as key to overall development. These are mainly intergovernmental
organizations. Some private multinational companies also have environment management
programmes.

Two prominent examples of such non-governmental organizations include are the World
Conservation Union (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Notable among the
intergovernmental development organizations in this categoiry are: the Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD), the South African Development Community (SADC),
the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), Club du Sahel, the Permanent
Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel, the African Union, NEPAD, the
East African Community, the Arab Mahgreb Union (AMU), the Economic Community of
Central African States (ECCAS) and the Indian Ocean Commission, among others.

63
 Recommended Reading

Environmental Education, Ethics and Action:

A Workbook to Get Started

T his book objectively challenges the link

between ethics and our everyday activities.
It takes ethics out of philosophy departments
and puts it squarely onto the streets, into the
villages, towns and cities, and connects ethics to
all life on Earth. The book’s primary audience is
teacher trainers, college instructors, university
professors and others responsible for professional
development in education. It is also aimed at
environmental educators who want to take their
teaching more deeply into the questions that lie at
the heart of sustainable living.

Available in four (4) languages - English, French,

Italian, and Spanish

Environmental Education, Ethics, and Action: A Workbook to Get Started.

Jickling, B., Lotz-Sisitka, H., O’Donoghue, R., Ogbuigwe. A. (2006)
Nairobi : UNEP.
ISBN: 92-807-2656-0

Translations:
English to French by Gilles Bédard;
English to Spanish by María José Hernández Ramos;
English to Italian by Filippo Laurenti.

64
 “Like the gentle Savannah
VI. African Network of Environmental Journalists breeze, journalists wander
(ANEJ) and wonder as they
dispense information
across the hills and plains,

A
NEJ, whose motto is “the voice of the African environment”, was conceived at the
first workshop for African environmental journalists, held at UNEP headquarters in refreshing and exposing.”
Nairobi, from 26 to 28 November 2002. Bwak, Kenyan Poet

ANEJ was set up with the aim of mainstreaming environmental reporting in Africa;
enhancing the capacity of African journalists to deal with new and emerging environmental
challenges; providing extra leverage for the dissemination of information on environmental
issues in the region, promoting web-based journalism on environment and sustainable
development in Africa and influencing the decision-making process relating to
environmental policies in Africa.

Its mission is to “promote public understanding of environmental issues in Africa by

improving the quality, accuracy, and intensity of environmental reporting”. Towards
achieving this status, ANEJ has promoted the culture of networking among African
environmental journalists from all over Africa, to enable them both to share and to
disseminate information, giving it more visibility and raising its profile. ANEJ also provides
critical support to journalists of all media in their efforts to give responsible coverage to
complex environment issues.
www.africannej.com

65
66
 “Multilateralism is the
VII.  Multilateral environmental agreements democracy of international
society”
Environmental conventions and protocols Boutros-Boutros Ghali,
United Nations Secretary-
Why? General 1992 - 1996

S
cientific evidence has shown that continued patterns of unsustainable production
and consumption, irresponsible dumping and pollution, continued depletion of Multilateral: Among a
biodiversity, a high population growth rate and general increasing environmental large number of countries.
degradation, are the direct result of entirely controllable human activities. In order to Contrasts with bilateral
control these activities and to safeguard the very future of the planet, it is paramount that and plurilateral
Governments of the world agree on policies to mitigate their harmful global effects.
Ratify: The process of
MEAs have been developed, adopted and ratified under the auspices of the United Nations adopting an international
or other organizations since they provide a means of ensuring commitment by a country to treaty, or a constitution or
the reversal of negative environmental trends. MEAs require that countries develop specific other nationally binding
implementation mechanisms and fulfil obligations involving reporting, training, public document
education, and other activities.

What? MEAs are generally

described as conventions
MEAs are binding agreements between States for the development of international or protocols. Conventions
norms and standards for protecting the environment. Once a convention is adopted by are international policy
Governments at an international conference, States can then sign and ratify the convention. statements agreed to
by Governments, while
Global MEAs are complemented by subregional and regional agreements such as the Africa protocols are MEAs
Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the Convention for that address actionable
Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment points from a convention.
of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Convention), and the Lusaka Agreement Conventions may have
on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora certain limitations that
(http://www.lusakaagreement.org/).

67
need to be addressed Process of developing multilateral environment agreements
by actions; Protocols
are more binding and a How?
country becomes subject The decision to open negotiations for the adoption of an MEA is usually prompted by
to a protocol once it compelling information from a number of different sources of information on an issue that
ratifies it. requires a global response.

“We are called to assist For instance, in response to the problem of potential global climate change WMO and
the earth to heal her UNEP established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. The
wounds, and in the first assessment report of IPCC served as the basis for the negotiation of the Framework
process heal our own Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. For its part, the Cartagena Protocol
– indeed, to embrace on Biosafety originated within the Convention on Biological Diversity.
the whole creation in all
its diversity, beauty and
Drafting a convention
wonder.”
Wangari Maathai, Nobel What?
Peace Laureate, 2004 Negotiations for an MEA or a protocol to an MEA are multi‑party in nature. Every State and, in
the case of a protocol to an MEA, every party to the MEA can participate in those negotiations
The MEA themes lie on an equal footing. This means that the negotiations – which are based on a mandate of
at the heart of global the United Nations General Assembly, a ministerial conference or a decision of the relvant
environmental issues conference of parties – are wide-ranging in terms of the interests that are raised and protected.
such as carbon dioxide
reduction, eco-efficiency, Making a convention or protocol work
biological diversity, land
degradation, energy How?
systems and technology Upon acceptance by States of the final text of a convention or of a protocol to an existing
innovation. instrument by its parties, the document is opened for signature and ratification. This stage
in the life of a convention or protocol is quite delicate For instance, States may agree to an
MEA or a protocol thereto but then not ratify it at a later stage and in this case the MEA
or its protocol has no effect or, at best, only enters into effect after a considerable time lag

68
during which time the environmental problem which the MEA or the protocol is designed Environmental
to remedy might have worsened considerably. Degradation: Processes
induced by human
Similarly, a number of States may have ratified an MEA or a protocol thereto but since the behaviour and activities
terms for the entry into force of the MEA may require the attainment of a threshold (e.g., a (sometimes combined
minimum number of ratifications by countries), the MEA may be rendered quite ineffective. with natural hazards)
that damage the natural-
MEAs at the country level resource base or adversely
alter natural processes
The fundamental principle of international treaty law is pacta sunt servanda (“agreements or ecosystems. Potential
must be observed”). States generally are only bound by those agreements to which they effects are varied and may
agree to be bound. A State may become party to an MEA for many reasons: because it is contribute to an increase
in the State’s best interest, because the State wants to be a responsible international actor, in vulnerability and the
because it wants access to financial or technical resources, because it is encouraged to do so frequency and intensity of
by other States, etc. natural hazards.

Regardless of the reason, once the State is a party to an MEA, it is bound by the terms of that The COP is the policy
agreement. Typically, this includes both substantive provisions (to take certain measures to organ of the MEA and
protect the environment) and procedural provisions. its decisions guide the
secretariat in carrying out
To implement the requirements of an MEA, States often have to adopt implementing activities for the convention.
legislation. Some States require that their laws and institutions conform to the terms of an
MEA before the State can become a party to the agreement. Other States often become a
party to the agreement first, and then proceed with the legal and institutional reforms. Why
would States pursue the latter course? One reason is that, while most MEAs make provision
for some form of technical or financial assistance to implement the MEA, such assistance
often is given only to those States that are parties (see UNEP 2006, Manual on Compliance
with and Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, p. 52 ff.)

69
 Note

Please refer to the UNEP Manual on

Compliance with and Enforcement of Multilateral
Environmental Agreements for comprehensive
information on MEAs and their compliance. The
online version can be found at this link:
http://www.unep.org/dec/docs/UNEP_Manual.pdf

“The war we have to A.  Biodiversity conventions

wage today has only
one goal and that is to Overview
make the world safe for Biodiversity can be considered at three major levels:
diversity.”
U Thant, United Nations • The genetic variation within populations;
Secretary-General, • The number, relative abundance and uniqueness of species; and
1961 – 1971 • The variety, extent and condition of ecosystems.

Biodiversity and the ecosystems they support are the living basis for sustainable
development. They generate a wide range of goods and services on which the world
economy depends. Activities that reduce biodiversity jeopardize economic development
and often the survival of many who depend on biodiversity for their livelihood, such as
the poor in the rural areas of developing countries. The strong linkages that exist between
biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation are not always recognized or understood.

Human-imposed threats to biodiversity demand immediate attention. The ecosystem

approach, as laid out in the decisions under the Convention on Biological Diversity, should be
implemented for progress to be achieved in conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Biodiversity conventions can be geared towards the conservation of individual species, their
migration routes and habitats, or may have a more overarching approach to conservation

70
and sustainable use of biodiversity in a broader sense. This is increasingly vital, because
biodiversity offers multiple opportunities for development and improving human well-
being. It is the basis for essential environmental services upon which life on earth depends.
Thus, its conservation and sustainable use are of critical importance.

Biodiversity MEAs

Global
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Convention on Migratory Species
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as
Waterfowl Habitat
• World Heritage Convention
• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources
• International Plant Protection Convention
• International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling

Regional
• Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)
• Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas
(ASCOBANS)
• Agreement on the Conservation of the Black Seas, Mediterranean and Contiguous
Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS)
• African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
• Regional seas conventions
• Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade
in Wild Fauna and Flora
• Convention for the Protection, Management, and Development of the Marine and
Coastal Environment of the East African Region (Nairobi Convention)
71
Biosafety: The
assessment of the impact
and safety of genetically
improved or modified
organisms and the
development of protective
policies and procedures
for adoption to ensure this.
Endangered species:
Animals, plants or
other living organisms
threatened with extinction
by anthropogenic
(human-caused) or other
natural changes in their
environment. Most of the
biodiversity conventions
have their own lists of
endangered species. CBD
describes endangered
species while IUCN has
compiled a so-called “Red
List” of threatened species.
Precautionary
principle:
Principle adopted by
the United Nations
Conference on the
72
• Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and
Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Copnvention)
• Convention for the Establishment of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization
• Protocol Concerning Protected Areas and Wild Fauna and Flora in the Eastern
African Region
http://svs-unepibmdb.net/?q=node/2
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
One of the key agreements adopted at the Rio Summit was the Convention on Biological
Diversity. It has three objectives:
• Conservation of biodiversity,
• Sustainable use of its components, and
• Equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of biodiversity.
This covenant reached by the vast majority of the world’s Governments sets out
commitments to safeguard the foundations of the world’s ecology as its economies continue
on the path of development.
The Convention is comprehensive in its goals, and deals with an issue so vital to the very
future of humanity that it stands as a landmark in international law. It recognizes – for the
first time – that conservation of biological diversity is “a common concern of humankind”
and is an integral part of the development process. It also recognized the national
sovereignty of countries over their own biological diversity.
The agreement covers all ecosystems, species and genetic resources. It links traditional
conservation efforts to the economic goal of using biological resources sustainably. It sets
principles for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic
resources. It also covers the rapidly expanding field of biotechnology, covering technology
development and transfer, benefit‑sharing and biosafety. This has been further developed in
the Cartagena Protocol.
Importantly, the Convention is legally binding: countries that join it are obliged to Environment and
implement its provisions. However, it has no compliance mechanism nor sanctions Development (1992)
possibilities, which make it more of a “framework” convention that relies on the further that, in order to protect
development of instruments that can be enforced. The first such instrument is the the environment, a
Cartagena Protocol. precautionary approach
http://www.biodiv.org should be widely applied,
meaning that where there
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety are threats of serious or
irreversible damage to
On 29 January 2000, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity the environment, lack of
adopted a supplementary agreement to the Convention known as the Cartagena Protocol on full scientific certainty
Biosafety. The Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity – and human health – from the should not be used as a
potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. It reason for postponing
establishes an advanced information agreement (AIA) procedure for ensuring that countries cost-effective measures
are provided with the information necessary to make informed decisions before agreeing to prevent environmental
to the import of such organisms into their territory. The Protocol contains reference to degradation. Application
a precautionary approach and goes beyond the precaution language in Principle 15 of of the precautionary
the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. The Protocol also establishes a principle means that a
Biosafety Clearing House to facilitate the exchange of information on living modified lower level of proof of
organisms and to assist countries in the implementation of the Protocol. harm can be used in
www.biodiv.org/biosafety policy-making whenever
the consequences of
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and waiting for a higher levels
Flora (CITES) of proof might be very
costly or irreversible.
Overview
Endangerment of wild fauna and flora is a broad issue, which involves the habitats and Ecosystem approach
environments where species live and interact with one another (ecosystems). Although some The ecosystem approach
is a strategy for the
integrated management
 Source: www.biodiv.org
 Source: www.biodiv.org/biosafety/
73
of land, water and
living resources that
promotes conservation
and sustainable use in an
equitable way.
Exotic: A term used to
describe a plant or animal
species that is not native
to the habitat into which it
is introduced.
Extinction: The
irreversible condition
whereby a species or other
group of organisms has
no living representatives in
the wild, which follows the
death of the last surviving
individual of that species
or group.
74
measures are being taken to mitigate specific cases of endangerment, the universal problem
cannot be solved until humans protect the natural environments where endangered species
dwell. There are many reasons why a particular species may become endangered, the main
ones being; habitat destruction, introduction of harmful invasive alien (“exotic” does not
cover it) species and overexploitation of a particular species. Endangerment does not only
affect the single species but affects the entire ecosystem, which is directly or indirectly
dependent on the endangered species.
According to conservation analysts, the international wildlife trade is estimated to be
worth billions of dollars annually and to include hundreds of millions of plant and animal
specimens. The trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast array of
wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden
musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicines. Levels of exploitation of some
animal and plant species are high and the trade in them, together with other factors, such as
habitat loss, is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species
close to extinction. Many wildlife species in trade are not endangered, but the existence of
an agreement to ensure the sustainability of the trade is important in order to safeguard
these resources for the future.
CITES Convention
The trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders between countries. Accordingly, efforts
to regulate it require international cooperation to safeguard certain species from over-
exploitation. CITES was conceived in the spirit of such cooperation. The aim of CITES is to
ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten
their survival. The convention came into force in July 1975.
CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain
controls. All imports, exports, re‑exports, and also introduction from the sea, of species
covered by the Convention have to be authorized through a licensing system. Each party
 Copyright 19972002 by Lauren Kurpis www.endangeredspecie.com
to the Convention must designate one or more management authorities in charge of Migratory species:
administering that licensing system and one or more scientific authorities to advise them on Birds or other animals
the effects of trade on the status of the species. which make annual
movements from one place
The species covered by CITES are listed in three appendices, according to the degree of to another. Migrations
protection that they need. may be of any distance,
from very great to very
Appendices I and II short, depending upon the
species.
Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species
is permitted only in exceptional circumstances. Appendix II includes species not necessarily
threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid use
incompatible with their survival.

The Conference of the Parties, which is the supreme decision-making body of the
Convention and comprises all its member States, has agreed in resolution Conf. 9.24 on a
set of biological and trade criteria to help determine whether a species should be included
in appendix I or II. At each regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties, parties submit
proposals based on those criteria to amend these two appendices. Those amendment
proposals are discussed and then submitted to a vote. The Convention also makes provision
for amendments by a postal procedure between meetings of the Conference of the Parties,
but this procedure is rarely used.

Appendix III
This appendix contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has sought
assistance from other CITES parties in controlling the trade. Changes to appendix III follow
a distinct procedure from changes to appendices I and II, as each party is entitled to make
unilateral amendments to it.
www.cites.org

75
 Ramsar Convention
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl
Habitat, signed in Ramsar, Islamic Republic of Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental
treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation
for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently
153 contracting parties to the Convention, with 1,626 wetland sites, totalling 145.6
million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International
Importance.

What?
The Convention’s mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local,
regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards
achieving sustainable development throughout the world”. The Convention uses a broad
definition of the types of wetlands covered in its mission, including swamps and marshes,
lakes and rivers, wet grasslands and peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, near-
shore marine areas, mangroves and coral reefs, and human-made sites such as fish ponds,
rice paddies, reservoirs, and salt pans.

Wetlands
Wetlands provide fundamental ecological services and are regulators of water regimes
and sources of biodiversity at all levels – species, genetic and ecosystem. They also play an
important role in the adaptation and mitigation of climate change. They are windows on
interactions between cultural and biological diversity. They also constitute a resource of
great economic, scientific and recreational value for the global community. Progressive
encroachment on, and loss of, wetlands cause serious and sometimes irreparable damage
to their provision of ecosystem services. They should thus be restored and rehabilitated,
whenever possible.

76
How?
• The Conference of the Contracting Parties meets every three years and promotes
policies and technical guidelines to further the application of the Convention.
• The Standing Committee, made up of parties representing the six Ramsar regions
of the world, meets annually to guide the Convention between meetings of the
Conference of the Parties.
The Scientific and Technical Review Panel provides guidance on key issues related to
the application of the Convention.
• The Ramsar secretariat, which shares premises with IUCN in Gland, Switzerland,
manages the day-to-day activities of the Convention.
• The MedWet Initiative, with its outposted coordination unit in Athens, Greece,
provides a model for regional cooperation for implementation of the Convention.
Nationally, each Contracting Party designates an administrative authority as its focal
point for implementation of the Convention.
• Countries are encouraged to establish national wetland committees, involving
all government institutions dealing with water resources, development planning,
protected areas, biodiversity, tourism, education, development assistance, etc.
Participation by NGOs and civil society is also encouraged.
• Ramsar sites facing problems in maintaining their ecological character can be placed
by the country concerned on a special list, known as the “Montreux Record”, and
technical assistance to help solve the problems can be provided.
• Eligible countries can apply for financial assistance in the form of a Ramsar small
grants fund and other funding from the Convention’s Future Fund to implement
wetland conservation and sound-use projects.

The Convention works closely with other environment-related global and regional
conventions. It has joint work plans or other collaborative arrangements with the Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the Biological Diversity, Desertification, Migratory Species
and World Heritage conventions, as well as the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere programme.
The secretariat also works with funding institutions such as the World Bank and GEF and with
river basin management authorities such as those for Lake Chad and the Niger Basin.
77
 The Convention has four formally recognized international organization partners – BirdLife
International, IUCN, Wetlands International and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
– which help contracting parties in implementing the Convention and offer assistance to
those countries on the road to accession.
www.ramsar.org

World Heritage: A UNESCO World Heritage Convention

term applied to sites of
UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and
outstanding universal
natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This
natural or cultural
is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention Concerning the Protection
significance which are
of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. The most
included on the World
significant feature of the 1972 World Heritage Convention is that it links together in a
Heritage List. A UNESCO
single document the concepts of nature conservation and the preservation of cultural
World Heritage Site is a
properties. The Convention recognizes the way in which people interact with nature, and
specific site (such as a
the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the two.
forest, mountain range,
whc.unesco.org
lake, desert, building,
complex, or city) that
Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal
has been nominated for
Trade in Wild Flora and Fauna
the international World
Heritage programme Recognizing the problems of intense poaching, which has resulted in the severe depletion
administered by UNESCO of certain wildlife populations in African States, and that this poaching is caused by illegal
trade, and that poaching cannot be curtailed until such illegal trade is eliminated, African
heads of States from East and Southern Africa met, developed and adopted the Lusaka
Agreement in 1994.

The agreement is a regional agreement under CITES, that later came into force in December
1996. The task force set up under the agreement became operational in 1999. The agreement
has, so far, six Governments which are party to it. These are Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Uganda,
United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia.

78
The Lusaka agreement is directed at illegal trade in wild flora and fauna and was born of “They may hop and gallop
the desire to combat cross-border wildlife crime. The task force set up under the agreement and fly from hill to plain to
has the mandate of enhancing cooperation between wildlife law enforcement agencies in valley but they still need a
different countries. place to call home. That
www.internationalwildlifelaw.org/lusaka.pdf place is every hill and
plain and valley that they
Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) tread upon.”
Bwak, Kenyan Poet
Overview
The journey that is traversed by birds during migration covers many different countries
in different continents. This migration is a natural phenomenon that involves movement
of given species between areas that they inhabit at different times of the year. CMS aims to
conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range.

Migratory movements tend to be regular and largely predictable. They may take place
over large fronts or along thin, traditional routes; in one single, continuous journey or as a
series of legs interspersed with rests. Migratory species of animals are, on average, more at
risk of becoming endangered than non‑migratory species. This results from their greater
requirements: they need suitable habitat along their migratory routes both for reproduction
and also during the off-season.

In an ever-changing world, human pressure is high on some of those habitats, and also often
on the animals themselves (hunting, incidental catch, etc.). As a result, many migratory species
that were once common are becoming increasingly rare. Even though migratory species of
wild animals represent only a fraction of the total biodiversity, they are a very significant
portion of the world’s genetic resources. They have evolved in intricate interrelationships
with resident plant and other animal species. They also play a unique role as indicators for the
interdependence of and linkages between ecosystems and for ecological change.

79
Eurasia: Relating to, or Convention on Migratory Species
coming from, Europe and
CMS aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their
Asia
range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the auspices of UNEP, concerned
with the conservation of migratory wildlife and their habitats on a global scale. Since the
Flora & Fauna:
Convention’s entry into force, its membership has grown steadily to include 97 (as of 1 May
Fauna is a collective
2006) parties from Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
term for animal life. The
corresponding term for
Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed in appendix I of the Convention. CMS
plants is flora. Technically,
parties strive towards strict protection of these animals, conserving or restoring the places
the proper term for fauna
where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might
plus flora is biota (the
endanger them. Besides establishing obligations for each State joining the Convention, CMS
term “fauna” never covers
promotes concerted action among the range States of many of these species.
plant species!) Flora and
Fauna can also refer to a
Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international cooperation are
descriptive catalogue of
listed in appendix II of the Convention. For this reason, the Convention encourages the range
the plants and animals of
States to conclude global or regional agreements. In this respect, CMS acts as a framework
any geographical area,
convention. The agreements may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to
geological period, etc.
less formal instruments, such as memorandums of understanding, and can be adapted to
the requirements of particular regions. The development of models tailored according to the
.
conservation needs throughout the migratory range is a unique capacity to CMS.

Several Agreements have been concluded to date under the auspices of CMS. They aim to
conserve different species including the following:

• Cetaceans of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and contiguous Atlantic area
• African-Eurasian migratory waterbirds

In addition, several memorandums of understanding have been concluded to date under the
auspices of CMS. They also aim to conserve different species including the following:

80
 • Slender-billed curlew
• Marine turtles of the Atlantic coast of Africa
• Marine turtles of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia
• Bukhara deer
• Aquatic warbler
• West-African populations of the African elephant
• Saiga antelope

Countries that are not party to CMS can still become party to one of its agreements, in
contrast, for example, to the Cartagena Protocol, which can only be joined by parties
to CBD, the mother convention. A secretariat under the auspices of UNEP provides
administrative support to the convention. The convention’s decision-making organ is
the Conference of the Parties. A standing committee provides policy and administrative
guidance between the regular meetings of the Conference of the Parties. A scientific council,
consisting of experts appointed by individual member States and by the Conference of the
Parties, gives advice on technical and scientific matters.
www.cms.int

African Convention on the Protection of Nature and Natural Resources

(Algiers Convention)

Overview
Biological diversity is the variety of life on Earth, from the simplest bacterial gene to the
vast, complex rainforests of Central Africa. Indeed, Africa’s vast expanses are clothed in a
rich biodiversity that injects beauty and life across the continent. In terms of its biodiversity,
the Karoo, shared between South Africa and Namibia, is the richest desert in the world,
with almost five thousand endemic species. The Guinean forest has the highest mammalian
diversity of all the world’s 25 hotspots. Equally remarkable are the Eastern Arc Mountain
Forests of Eastern Africa. They are 30 million years old and are thought to have evolved in
isolation for at least 10 million years.

81
 Algiers Convention
Five years after the Organization for African Unity (OAU) was established, African countries
adopted the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, in
Algiers in September 1968. The main objective of the Algiers Convention was to encourage
individual and joint action for the conservation, use and development of soil, water, flora
and fauna, for the present and future welfare of humankind.

The main principle of the Algiers Convention is set out as follows: “The contracting
States shall undertake to adopt the measures necessary to ensure conservation, utilization
and development of soil, water, floral and faunal resources in accordance with scientific
principles and with due regard to the best interests of the people.”

Under the Algiers Convention parties undertake:

• To adopt effective measures to conserve and improve the soil; and to control erosion
and land use;
• To establish policies to conserve, use and develop water resources; to prevent
pollution; and to control water use;
• To protect flora and ensure its best use; to ensure good management of forests; and
to control burning, land clearance and overgrazing;
• To conserve fauna resources and use them wisely; to manage populations and
habitats; to control hunting, capture and fishing; and to prohibit the use of poisons,
explosives and automatic weapons in hunting;
• Tightly to control the traffic in trophies, in order to prevent trade in illegally killed
and illegally obtained trophies; and
• To reconcile customary rights with the convention.

This convention was later revised by the Maputo Convention in 2003. The Maputo
Convention builds on the Algiers Convention and brings it into line with the challenges of
the twenty‑first century, with the renewed commitment of African countries to conserve
Africa’s natural riches. The Maputo Convention has not yet entered into force, however, as
82
the threshold of 15 countries has not been reached. The full text of this Convention can be
downloaded from the African Union website.
www.africa-union.org

Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)

Overview
The African phase in the migration routes of migratory birds is essential for their well‑being
and for the survival of their species. A place like the Niger Delta in Western Africa is well
known as a wintering and staging area for millions of migratory birds. The transboundary
nature of avian migratory journeys call for a transboundary approach for their sustainable
conservation. Such an approach will ensure a safe passage of birds from one country to
another, one continent to another.

AEWA Convention
This convention is the largest of its kind developed so far under CMS. It entered into force
in November 1999. The Agreement provides for coordinated and concerted action to be
taken by the range States throughout the migration system of the waterbirds to which it
applies. Parties to the agreement are called upon to engage in a wide range of conservation
actions, which are described in a comprehensive action plan (2003–2005). This detailed
plan addresses such key issues as: species and habitat conservation, management of human
activities, research and monitoring, education and information, and implementation.

83
 AEWA covers 235 species of birds ecologically dependent on wetlands for at least part of
their annual cycle, including many species of divers, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, herons,
storks, rails, ibises, spoonbills, flamingos, ducks, swans, geese, cranes, waders, gulls, terns and
the South African penguin.

The geographical area covered by AEWA includes 117 countries from Europe, parts of Asia
and Canada, the Middle East and Africa and stretches from the northern reaches of Canada
and the Russian Federation to the southernmost tip of Africa. Of those 117 range States
currently 54 countries (as of 1 June 2006) have become contracting parties to AEWA.
http://www.unep-aewa.org

84
B.  Atmosphere conventions
Overview
Unlike land and marine resources, atmospheric resources are found in all African countries,
although at varying levels, distribution and frequency. Atmospheric resources provide
life-supporting goods and services. The air contains oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen
that are essential for life and livelihoods. The clouds, with their accompanying lightning
phenomenon and rainfall, play a critical role in supporting life on earth. Rainfall is a source
of water for people, animals and plants, and for rain-fed agriculture. The ozone layer, found
in the stratosphere, protects human beings from harmful ultraviolet radiation. The sun’s
rays provide light and energy. The sun, wind and rivers are sources of energy for direct use
or electricity generation.

The following agreements are closely interlinked in protecting the environment by “The Vienna Convention
eliminating or stabilizing anthropogenic emissions that threaten to interfere with the is the first convention to
atmosphere: tackle an issue that for
the time being seems far
• Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol in the future and is of
on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer unknown proportions. This
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol convention is the essence
of “anticipatory response”
While the former focuses on the impacts that ozone depletion can have on human health, that so many environmental
the latter addresses concerns that climate change may have on ecosystem stability, food issues call for: to deal with
production and economic development. the threat of the problem
before we have to deal
with the problem itself.”
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
Mostafa Tolba, UNEP
The ozone layer is the protective layer in the atmosphere, about 15 miles above the ground,
Executive Director,
that absorbs some of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, thereby reducing the amount of potentially
1975 -1992
harmful radiation that reaches the earth’s surface.

85
Stratosphere: The layer In the stratosphere, small quantities of ozone are constantly being formed by the
of atmosphere that lies action of sunlight on oxygen. At the same time, ozone is being broken down by natural
about 15–50 kilometres processes. The total amount of ozone usually stays constant because its formation and
above the Earth’s surface. destruction occur at about the same rate. Human activity has recently changed that natural
balance. Certain manufactured substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCs), can destroy stratospheric ozone much faster than it is
formed. Ozone-depleting substances usually contain chlorine or bromine. CFCs are not the
only ozone-depleting substances, but they are the most abundant. Some ozone-depleting
substances are naturally occurring compounds.

It is important, however, to note that not all ozone is good for health and the environment.
Tropospheric ozone, which is found at ground level and created mainly by emissions
from automobiles and pollution from factories, is responsible for a large part of the
photochemical smog known as “city-smog”. It causes respiratory diseases and is a major
problem in many cities.

This ozone has no connection with the stratospheric ozone that is found in the atmosphere
at high altitude and protects us from ultraviolet radiation. The Vienna Convention and
Montreal Protocol only deal with stratospheric ozone.

Tropospheric ozone plays an important role in climate change discussions as concentrations

of it have risen by around 30 per cent since the pre-industrial era, and it is now considered
by IPCC to be the third most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and methane.
An additional complication of ozone is that it also interacts with and is modulated by
concentrations of methane, which affects the length of time that these compounds remain
in the air.

When?
The issue of ozone depletion was first discussed by the UNEP Governing Council
in 1976. A meeting of experts on the ozone layer was convened in 1977, after which
UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) set up the Coordinating
86
Committee of the Ozone Layer (CCOL) to conduct periodic assessments of ozone Nations agreed in Vienna
depletion. Intergovernmental negotiations for an international agreement to phase out to take “appropriate
ozone‑depleting substances started in 1981 and concluded with the adoption of the Vienna measures to protect
Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in March 1985. human health and the
environment against
The Vienna Convention encourages intergovernmental cooperation on research, systematic adverse effects resulting or
observation of the ozone layer, monitoring of CFC production, and the exchange of likely to result from human
information. activities which modify
or are likely to modify
The main thrust of the convention was to encourage research and overall cooperation the Ozone Layer”, thus
among countries and exchange of information. Even so it took four years to prepare the Convention for the
and agree. Twenty countries signed it in Vienna, but most did not rush to ratify it. The Protection of the Ozone
convention made provision for future protocols and specified procedures for amendment Layer was born.
and dispute settlement.
Antarctica is a continent
The Vienna Convention set an important precedent. For the first time countries agreed surrounding the Earth’s
in principle to tackle a global environmental problem before its effects were felt, or even South Pole. It is the coldest
scientifically proved. place on earth and is
www.unep.org/ozone almost entirely covered by
ice. It is not to be confused
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer with the Arctic, which is
located near the Earth’s
Following the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole in late 1985, Governments recognized North Pole on the opposite
the need for stronger measures to reduce the production and consumption of a number side of the planet.
of CFCs and several halons. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone
Layer was adopted on 16 September 1987 at the headquarters of the International Civil
Aviation Organization in Montreal. The protocol came into force in January 1989, when it
was ratified by 29 countries and the European Community. Since then it has been ratified by
several more countries.

The protocol was designed so that the phase‑out schedules could be revised on the basis of
periodic scientific and technological assessments. Following such assessments, the protocol
87
 was adjusted to accelerate the phase‑out schedules. It has also been amended to introduce
Halons: CFCs which
other kinds of control measures and to add new controlled substances to the list.
contain one or more
www.unep.org/ozone
bromine atoms. These
are commercially used
in fire extinguishers and Ozone-friendly agricultural products
also sold under different In 2006, more than 5,000 farms and organizations, from more than 30 countries in the
refrigerant trade names world, joined forces with UNEP to accelerate the phase-out of an agricultural pesticide
such as Freon. Similar to that damages the ozone layer. Methyl bromide has been used by farmers to kill pests in the
CFC s, these compounds soil before planting crops like tomatoes, strawberries, melons and flowers. But in 1992 it
can migrate to the was officially controlled as an ozone-depleting substance and is scheduled to be phased out
stratosphere and destroy under the Montreal Protocol.
ozone.
The new International Partnership for Phasing-out Methyl Bromide brings together many
Chlorofluorocarbons farms and companies that have shown leadership in protecting the ozone layer.
(CFCs): A family of inert,
nontoxic, and easily The partnership aims to accelerate the worldwide switch from methyl bromide to ozone-
liquefied chemicals friendly alternatives. It plans to establish a business-to-business (B2B) net-based service,
used in refrigeration, air linking grocery stores seeking goods produced without methyl bromide with farmers and
conditioning, packaging, suppliers who do not use methyl bromide. This will link with agricultural certification
insulation, or as solvents organizations so that companies can confidently purchase flowers, strawberries, tomatoes,
and aerosol propellants. melons, and other products that are certified as grown without methyl bromide.
Because CFCs are not
destroyed in the lower Farms and companies that join the partnership have already stopped using methyl bromide
atmosphere they drift into or will pledge to halt their use of the pesticide by September 2007, in celebration of the
the upper atmosphere twentieth anniversary of the Montreal Protocol.
where their chlorine
components destroy
Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
ozone.
The Multilateral Fund was established by a decision of the Second Meeting of the Parties
to the Montreal Protocol (London, June 1990) and began its operation in 1991. The main
objective of the Multilateral Fund is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal

88
Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ozone‑depleting
substances (ODS) is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures under the
protocol. The Multilateral Fund is dedicated to reversing the deterioration of the Earth’s
ozone layer. Its success was highlighted in June 2005 at the meeting of the fund’s Executive
Committee in Montreal, where it was reported that projects financed by the fund have so far
eliminated the annual consumption of 243,207 tonnes of ODS.
www.multilateralfund.org

Atmosphere MEAs

Global
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Kyoto Protocol
• Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
• Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The greenhouse effect
Overview phenomenon is a natural
process which keeps the
The term “climate change” is sometimes used to refer to all forms of climatic inconsistency. earth warm enough to
Because the Earth’s climate is never static, however, the term is more properly used to imply sustain life. Gases within
a significant change from one climatic condition to another. In some cases, “climate change” the atmosphere trap the
has been used synonymously with the term, “global warming”. Global warming refers to sun’s heat, reflecting it
an average increase in the Earth’s temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A back to the Earth. The
warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range Earth has just the right
of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans In the usage of the Framework Convention on balance of these gases to
Climate Change, climate change refers to a change in climate that is attributable directly or flourish; any fluctuation in
indirectly to human activity that alters the atmospheric composition. the levels of these gases

89
causes an effect known African context
as “global warming” or
Although not a big polluter, Africa is quite vulnerable to climate change. Human
“global cooling”.
vulnerability revolves around two issues – exposure to environmental hazards and the
coping capability of people to these hazards. People who have more capability to cope with
extreme events or stresses are at lesser risk and are, therefore, more secure. Most African
Ozone: Formed in the
countries fall in the category of high risk and low coping capacity. Over the past 30 years,
stratosphere from the
many African countries have faced increasing risk from floods, earthquakes, lava flows,
conversion of oxygen
fires, droughts, civil strife, and armed conflicts. These disasters have increased poverty,
molecules by solar
intensified serious health problems, and resulted in hunger. In addition, they have displaced
radiation. Ozone absorbs
populations across national borders and internally, contributing to further environmental
much ultraviolet radiation
degradation, and leading to more vulnerability and insecurity
and prevents it from
http://www.unep.org/themes/climatechange
reaching earth.

Framework Convention on Climate Change

In the early 1990s most countries joined an international treaty, the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, to begin to consider what can be done to
reduce global warming and to cope with whatever temperature increases are inevitable. In
1997 Governments agreed to an addition to the treaty, called the Kyoto Protocol, which
has more powerful compliance and enforcement measures (the Framework Convention on
Climate Change has the same legally binding force as the Convention on Biological Diversity
but, like the latter, it has no powers of enforcement, hence the need to adopt the Kyoto
Protocol). The protocol entered into force on February 16, 2005.

The Framework Convention on Climate Change sets an overall framework for

intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. It recognizes
that the climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial and
other emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

90
Under the convention, Governments: Annex I Parties include
the industrialized countries
• Gather and share information on greenhouse gas emissions, national policies and that were members of
best practices the Organization for
• Launch national strategies for addressing greenhouse emissions and adapting to Economic Cooperation
expected impacts, including the provision of financial and technological support to and Development (OECD)
developing countries in 1992, plus countries
• Cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate change with economies in
transition, including the
The Framework Convention on Climate Change is still in a relatively early phase of Russian Federation, the
implementation, with much of its future success depending on the effective operation of its Baltic States, and several
Kyoto Protocol. Central and Eastern
www.unfccc.int European States.

Kyoto Protocol Annex II Parties consist

of the OECD members
When? listed in Annex I, but not
The Framework Convention on Climate Change took effect in 1994, and by 1995 Governments the Parties with economies
had begun negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force on 16 February 2005. in transition. They are
required to provide
financial resources to
What and how?
enable developing
The Kyoto Protocol shares the Convention’s objective, principles and institutions, but countries to undertake
significantly strengthens the Convention by committing annex I Parties – the developed emissions reduction
country parties – to individual, legally binding targets to limit or reduce their greenhouse activities under the
gas emissions. Only parties to the Convention that have also become parties to the protocol convention and to help
will be bound by the protocol’s commitments. To date, 165 countries have ratified the them adapt to adverse
protocol. Of these, 35 countries are required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below effects of climate change.
levels specified for each of them in the treaty. The individual targets for annex I parties In addition, they have
are listed in the Kyoto Protocol’s annex B. These add up to a total cut in greenhouse-gas to “take all practicable
emissions of at least 5 per cent from 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008–2012.

91
steps” to promote the
development and transfer
of environmentally
friendly technologies to
Parties with economies in
transition and developing
countries. Funding
provided by Annex II
Parties is channelled
mostly through the
Convention’s financial
mechanism.
Non-Annex I Parties
are mostly developing
countries. Certain groups
of developing countries
are recognized by the
convention as being
especially vulnerable to
the adverse impacts of
climate change, including
countries with low‑lying
coastal areas and those
prone to desertification and
drought. Others (such as
countries that rely heavily
on income from fossil fuel
production and commerce)
feel more vulnerable to the
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The effectiveness of the Protocol may, however, be jeopardized by the fast growing
emissions of some developing States, which have no obligations to reduce or to limit their
greenhouse‑gas emissions. Future mandatory targets are expected to be established for
“commitment periods” after 2012. These are to be negotiated well in advance of the periods
concerned. Commitments under the protocol vary from country to country. To compensate
for the sting of “binding targets,” as they are called, the agreement offers flexibility in how
countries may meet their targets: By means of the clean‑development mechanism they may
invest in foreign projects that result in greenhouse-gas cuts.
www.unfccc.int
Clean-development mechanisms and carbon
Global warming has spawned a new form of commerce: the carbon trade. This new
economic activity involves the buying and selling of so-called “environmental services”.
Such “services”, which include the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, are
identified and purchased by eco-consulting firms and then sold to individual or corporate
clients to offset their polluting emissions.
While some NGOs and so-called “green” businesses favour the carbon trade and view it as a
win-win solution that reconciles environmental protection with economic prosperity, some
environmentalists and grassroots organizations claim that it is no answer to environmental
problems and that it does not address the causes of global warming.
The carbon trade works like this: an eco-consultancy that brokers environmental services
conducts an eco-audit of a client and comes up with a presumably accurate estimate of
how much carbon the client’s activities release to the atmosphere. Carbon is the common
denominator in all polluting gases that cause global warming.
At the other end of the operation, the firm scouts the world in search of environmental
services that could offset its client’s emissions. These services are usually forests and tree-
planting projects and are known in the business as “carbon assets” or “carbon sinks”, because
trees remove carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in their wood. The activity of potential economic impacts
these sinks is often called carbon sequestration. of climate change response
measures.
Using a variety of methodologies, the environmental services broker arrives at an estimate of
how much carbon a particular sink sequesters and then assigns it a monetary value and sells The convention
it to a client. The client then subtracts from its carbon account the carbon sequestered by emphasizes activities
its newly purchased carbon sink. The client is said to be carbon-neutral or climate-neutral that promise to answer
when its carbon assets equal its carbon emissions. the special needs and
concerns of these
The carbon trade is supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), vulnerable countries, such
a prestigious scientific body that advises the Framework Convention on Climate Change. It as investment, insurance
is also authorized by the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). and technology transfer.
The 48 Parties, classified
Contrary to what many environmentalists believe, the protocol does not seek substantial as least developed
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The industrialized countries that sign on to it commit countries (LDCs) by the
themselves to reducing their emissions to 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels. IPCC stated, however, United Nations, are given
that, in order to prevent a global disaster, these reductions must be 60 per cent below 1990 levels. special consideration
http://unfccc.int/kyoto_mechanisms/items/1673.php under the Convention on
account of their limited
Trade capacity to respond to
climate change and adapt
The Kyoto Protocol broke new ground by defining three innovative flexibility mechanisms to to its adverse effects.
lower the overall costs of achieving its emissions targets. These mechanisms enable parties to Parties are urged to take
gain access to cost-effective opportunities to reduce emissions or to remove carbon from the full account of the special
atmosphere in other countries. While the cost of limiting emissions varies considerably from situation of LDCs when
region to region, the benefit for the atmosphere is the same, wherever the action is taken. considering funding
and technology-transfer
The Clean Development Mechanism has been designed to be innovative and market- activities.
based, so that developed countries may invest in bankable projects in developing countries.
Emissions resulting from the project should be lower than what would have occurred
had the prevalent technology been used. Emission reductions are expected to be real,
measurable, and long enduring.
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 Carbon trade is an idea presented in response to the Kyoto Protocol that involves the trading
of greenhouse‑gas emission rights between countries. For example, if country A exceeds its
capacity of greenhouse gases and country B has a surplus of capacity, a monetary agreement
could be made that would see country A pay country B for the right to use its surplus capacity.

This trade must be undertaken while maintaining overall environmental integrity to avoid
substituting one evil for another (as, for example, ion the case cited above, when replacing a
wetland with forests might cause both a release of carbon gases and the loss of biodiversity).
www.teriin.org/climate/cdm.htm

C.  Chemicals and hazardous wastes conventions

Overview
The use of chemicals has brought immense benefits to humankind. At the same time it has
had negative impacts on human health and safety, particularly for the poorest and youngest
people, on the integrity of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and on air and water quality. The
unsound management and use of chemicals poses threats to human well-being at many levels:
it threatens the sustainability of the environment, which provides the goods and services
essential for people’s livelihoods; it undermines human health; it threatens physical security;
and it reduces the ability of communities to care for themselves and, especially, for children.

Chemicals present both known and unknown risks. Some chemicals, including heavy
metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) present
known risks. Lead and mercury, for example, have serious and irreversible impacts on the
mental development of children. Over the past half-century there has been an accelerated
release of artificial chemicals into the environment, many of which are long-lived and
transformed into by‑products whose behaviours, synergies and impacts are not well known.

Certain chemical additives persist in human organisms over time: this phenomenon is
known as “bio-accumulation”. For example, DDT can be found in human breast‑milk, as it
accumulates through the foodchain.

94
New research indicates that many chemicals widely in use, including in household and
personal care products, that are assumed to be safe by consumers and downstream users,
pose significant threats to people and biodiversity. As chemical production increases
globally, wildlife contamination has become even more pervasive, and troubling health
threats are ever more apparent. Establishing and implementing systems for the sound
management of chemicals must be a priority for Africa. A key challenge is how to account
for this aspect of uncertainty.

The overarching objective of the chemicals and hazardous wastes conventions is the
protection of human health and the environment from pollution by specific chemicals and
hazardous substances. In the case of the Rotterdam Convention, it specifically addresses
certain banned or severely restricted chemicals, as well as severely hazardous pesticide
formulations, subject to international trade. The Rotterdam Convention establishes the
principle that export of a chemical covered by the convention can only take place with the
prior informed consent of the importing party. An importing Party is thus able to make an
informed decision as to whether it can handle the risks connected with a chemical substance.

The Stockholm Convention has as its priorities the phasing out of an initial list of 12
chemicals – known as persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, and commonly referred to as
the “dirty dozen”, their interim restriction to certain acceptable purposes, phasing out the
production and use of DDT, and the reduction or elimination of unintentionally produced
chemicals (dioxin and furans). The convention also makes provision for the inclusion
of further POPs, and will require parties with new chemical programmes to prevent the
introduction of new POPs onto the marketplace.

The scope of the Basel Convention covers a broad range of hazardous wastes, including
chemical wastes, subject to transboundary movements. It aims to reduce these movements
to a minimum by minimizing the quantity and hazardousness of the wastes generated and
by promoting the treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes and other wastes as close as
possible to their source of generation.

95
 These three global MEAs are complemented by regional agreements such as the Bamako
Convention on the Ban of the Import Into Africa and the Control of Transboundary
Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes Within Africa, a hazardous waste
management convention adopted in 1991, and the Convention to Ban the Importation
into Forum Island Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes and to Control the
Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes Within the South
Pacific Region (Waigani Convention), adopted in 1995, as well as the 2004 Protocol to the
Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution.

MEAs on chemicals and hazardous wastes

Global and regional

• Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and Their Disposal (1989)
• Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain
Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (1998)
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001)
• Bamako Convention on the Ban on the Import into Africa and the Control of
Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa
(1991)

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous

Wastes and Their Disposal

In the late 1980s, a tightening of environmental regulations in industrialized countries led

to a dramatic rise in the cost of hazardous waste disposal. Searching for cheaper ways to get
rid of the wastes, so-called “toxic traders” began shipping hazardous waste to developing
countries and to Eastern Europe. When this activity was revealed, international outrage led
to the drafting and adoption of the Basel Convention. The Convention was first devoted
principally to setting up a framework for controlling the transboundary movements of

96
hazardous wastes, that is, the movement of hazardous wastes across international frontiers. Hazardous waste:
It also developed the criteria for “environmentally sound management”. A control system, Waste which, because of
based on prior written notification, was also put into place. its quantity, concentration
or characteristics, poses
Currently the convention emphasizes full implementation and enforcement of treaty a present or potential
commitments. The other area of focus will be the minimization of hazardous waste hazard to human health
generation, recognizing that the long-term solution to the stockpiling of hazardous wastes is or the environment when
a reduction in the generation of those wastes –in terms of both quantity and hazardousness. improperly treated, stored,
A central goal of the Basel Convention is “environmentally sound management”, the aim transported, dispersed of
of which is to protect human health and the environment by minimizing hazardous waste or otherwise managed.
production whenever possible. Environmentally sound management means addressing the
issue through a so-called “integrated life-cycle approach”, which involves strong controls Persistent Organic
from the generation of a hazardous waste to its storage, transport, treatment, reuse, Pollutants (POPs) are
recycling, recovery and final disposal. chemical substances that
persist in the environment
One of the guiding principles of the Basel Convention is that, in order to minimize the or bioaccumulate through
threat, hazardous wastes should be dealt with as close to where they are produced as the food web, and pose
possible. Accordingly, under the convention, transboundary movements of hazardous wastes a risk of causing adverse
or other wastes can take place only upon prior written notification by the State of export to effects to human health
the competent authorities of the States of import and transit, if appropriate. Each shipment and the environment
of hazardous waste or other waste must be accompanied by a movement document from the
point at which a transboundary movement begins to the point of disposal. Hazardous waste
shipments made without such documents are illegal. In addition, there are outright bans on
the export of these wastes to certain countries.

Transboundary movements can take place, however, if the State of export does not have the
capability of managing or disposing of the hazardous waste in an environmentally sound
manner.

Each country that is a party to the Convention is required to report information on the
generation and movement of hazardous wastes. Every year, a questionnaire is sent out

97
 to member countries, requesting information on the generation, export and import of
hazardous wastes covered by the convention.
www.basel.int

Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain

Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade

Owing to the dramatic growth in chemical production and trade, concerns have been raised
about the potential risks posed by hazardous chemicals and pesticides. Concerns were
raised that countries lacking adequate infrastructure to monitor the import and use of these
chemicals are particularly vulnerable. In response to these concerns, UNEP and FAO started
developing and promoting voluntary information exchange programmes in the mid-1980s.
FAO launched its “International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides”
in 1985 and UNEP established the London Guidelines for the Exchange of Information on
Chemicals in International Trade in 1987. In 1989, the two organizations jointly introduced the
voluntary prior informed consent (PIC) procedure into these two instruments. The Rotterdam
Convention was adopted in September 1998 and it entered into force in February 2004.

The Rotterdam Convention is an agreement designed to promote shared responsibility

and cooperative efforts among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous
chemicals, in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm and
to contribute to their environmentally sound use by facilitating information exchange about
their characteristics, providing for a national decision-making process on their import and
export and disseminating these decisions to Parties. The convention enables the world to
monitor and control the trade in certain hazardous chemicals.
www.pic.int

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Energy does not move in cyclical fashion through ecosystems, but certain chemicals do. For
example, the cycle followed by inorganic nutrients takes them not just through organisms,
but also into the atmosphere, the oceans, and even rocks. Since these compounds circulate
98
through both the biological and the geological world, the cycles they follow are known as
“biogeochemical cycles” or “natural cycles”. The major biogeochemical cycles pass through
the media of water, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorous. While each compound
has its own specific cycle, all the cycles have certain features in common. Examples of
such features are reservoirs, those parts of the cycle where the compound is held in large
quantities for long periods of time, and exchange pools, in which, on the other hand, the
compound is held for only a short time.

Faced by the evidence of long-range transport of these substances to regions where

they have never been used or produced and the consequent threats that they pose to the
environment of the entire planet, the international community has repeatedly called for
urgent global action to reduce and eliminate releases of these chemicals.

The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty developed to protect human health and the
environment from persistent organic pollutants. POPs are chemicals that remain intact in
the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate
in the fatty tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife. POPs circulate
globally and can cause damage wherever they travel. In implementing the convention,
Governments will take measures to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the
environment. Article 9 of the Stockholm Convention requires each party to establish a
national focal point for information exchange.

For the purpose of its work, the convention secretariat requests Governments to designate
a national focal point, regardless of their signatory or party status. To assist in coordinating
efforts in this area, UNEP has developed a master list of actions that address POPs and their
releases. This master list consists of actions aimed at reducing or eliminating releases of
POPs. The master list facilitates coordination and cooperation between and among activities
at the national, regional and international levels in countries and organizations, thereby
helping to avoid duplication of efforts and ensuring the efficient use of resources.
www.pops.int

99
 Bamako Convention
The Bamako Convention on the Ban on the Import into Africa and the Control of
Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa is a treaty
of African nations prohibiting the import of any hazardous (including radioactive) waste.
The convention was negotiated by 12 countries of the Organization of African Unity at
Bamako, Mali, in January, 1991.

Impetus for the development of the Bamako Convention came from the failure of the Basel
Convention to prohibit trade of hazardous waste to less developed countries, and from
the realization that many developed countries were exporting toxic wastes to Africa. The
Bamako Convention uses a format and language similar to that of the Basel Convention,
but is much stronger in prohibiting all imports of hazardous waste, and in not allowing the
exceptions, such as those for radioactive materials, admitted by the Basel Convention.

All parties are obliged to prohibit the import of all hazardous wastes, for any reason, into
Africa from non-contracting parties (article 4, paragraph 1). The categories of wastes listed
in Annex I to the convention, a waste possessing any of the characteristics listed in Annex
II to the convention, and any waste considered to be hazardous by the domestic laws of the
State of import, export or transit are considered hazardous wastes for the purposes of the
Bamako Convention.

Under the Bamako Convention the dumping of hazardous wastes is prohibited in the
following terms (article 4, paragraph 2): “Parties in conformity with related international
conventions and instruments shall, in the exercise of their jurisdiction within their internal
waters, territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and continental shelf, adopt legal,
administrative and other appropriate measures to control all carriers from non-Parties,
and prohibit the dumping at sea of hazardous wastes, including their incineration at sea
and their disposal in the seabed and the sub-seabed; any dumping of hazardous wastes at
sea, including incineration at sea as well as seabed and sub-seabed disposal, by Contracting
Parties, whether in internal waters, territorial seas, exclusive economic zones or high seas
shall be deemed to be illegal.”
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It follows from this provision, read in conjunction with Annex I to the convention, that the
dumping of radioactive wastes, industrial wastes, sewage and sewage sludge is prohibited.
The Bamako Convention places a duty on its parties to monitor their respective waterways
to ensure that no dumping occurs. Each State party must report annually to the secretariat
all the hazardous wastes generated each year. The entire text of the Bamako Convention can
be downloaded at this link:
http://www.ban.org/Library/bamako_treaty.html

D.  Land conventions “We abuse land because

we regard it as a
Overview commodity belonging to
Africa is the second largest region in the world, accounting for 20 per cent of the world’s us. When we see land as
landmass (2,963,313,000 hectares). Most Africans live in rural areas, where they practice a community to which we
small-scale cultivation or pastoralism. Consequently, the direct dependence on land belong, we may begin
creates production pressures and competition for resources. In many parts of Africa, to use it with love and
disproportionately large areas fertile land are used for the cultivation of commercial respect.”
crops. This means that less land is available for food production and the continent is more Aldo Leopold, US
dependent on food imports. Environmentalist
(1887 – 1948)
The African landscape is a rich and dynamic mosaic of resources, including forests and
woodlands, arable land, mountains, deserts, coastal lands and freshwater systems, that has
vast potential for development and improving human well-being if managed sustainably.
In many parts of the world, and primarily in Africa, one of the principal dangers facing
the land, under the pressure of overuse, is desertification: in response to this challenge,
the international community developed and adopted the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification, the major global convention on the problem of desertification.

101
 Land MEAs

Global
By acceding to UNCCD,
a State would become United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious
a party to the main Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa
international instrument The main objective of the Convention to Combat Desertification is to resist the spread of
dealing with the urgent desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought, particularly in Africa. This objective is
global problem of land to be achieved through effective action at all levels, supported by international cooperation
degradation. As a party, and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach which is
that country would have consistent with Agenda 21, with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable
full powers, including development in affected areas.
voting, at sessions of the
Conference of the Parties. Over the last decade, the Sahelian and sub-Sudanese zones have experienced increasing
difficulties in producing sufficient food for their populations. The major constraints are
102
declining overall precipitation, the degradation and depletion of natural resources due
to over‑cultivation, extensive fuel-wood gathering and inappropriate land management
systems, as Africa’s population, more than that of any other continent, is highly dependent
on land. The problem is further exacerbated by unfavourable economic and agricultural
policies. In many areas desertification has led to significant losses of biomass and soil
fertility, thereby jeopardizing agricultural production and sustainable yields.

Ending endemic hunger is one of the most pressing challenges faced by African
communities, their Governments and the international community. Many countries in
Africa suffer from exceptional food shortages, and millions of people still face the threat of
famine and starvation. Even without famine and starvation, malnutrition is widespread.
About half of the region’s population suffers from some level of food deprivation, with
serious consequences for health and productivity. Ending this food and agriculture crisis
depends critically on peace, increased agriculture productivity, especially in African low
income and food deficit countries, self-reliance in food, and redistribute policies aimed at
improving the living conditions of the rural poor.

Land degradation is a serious problem throughout Africa, threatening economic and

physical survival. Key issues include escalating soil erosion, declining fertility, salinization,
soil compaction, agrochemical pollution and desertification. An estimated 500 million
hectares of land have been affected by soil degradation since about 1950, including as
much as 65 per cent of agricultural land. Soil losses in South Africa alone are estimated
to be as high as 400 million tones annually; moreover, soil erosion affects other economic
sectors such as energy and water supply. In a continent where too many people are already
malnourished, there could well be a dramatic 50 per cent drop in crop yields within the next
forty years if the degradation of cultivated lands were to continue at present rates.
The wealth of Africa depends on her ability to conserve and manage her land resources.
It is generally accepted that, in addition to decreased food production, soil degradation
also causes droughts and ecological imbalance, leading to a decline in the quality of life.
In Africa, the negative impact of land degradation on food production is most clearly
manifested in stagnating and declining yields and increasing poverty.

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 In the future, desertification is going to be a great challenge for countries not only in Africa
but throughout the world. In all, 110 countries, with many millions of people directly
affected, are now having to cope with the problem of spreading deserts. It is to be hoped that
Governments and the United Nations will be able to come up with new ideas and ways to
bring an end to desertification.

There are very few regional agreements on the question of arid lands and land degradation.
Of these, the most notable are the Agreement for the Establishment of the Arab Centre for the
Studies of Dry and Barren Land (1970) and the Convention Establishing a Permanent Inter-State
Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) (1973). Given the focus on sustainable
development and the strong substantive linkages between climate change, desertification and
drought and loss of biodiversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification works closely with
the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The international community has long recognized that desertification is a major economic,
social and environmental problem facing many countries all over the world. The
Convention to Combat Desertification was adopted in June 1994 and was open for signature
from October 1994 to October 1995. Signatory States must ratify the Convention before
it comes into force for them but non-signatory States have the option of acceding to the
Convention at any time, and a number of countries have already done so.

The Convention entered into force in December 1996, thus opening an important new
phase in the battle against desertification. Governments, for example, are regularly reviewing
the action programmes and giving priority to awareness raising, education, and training,
both in developing and developed countries. The obligations set out in the convention
relate principally to international cooperation in implementing the Convention in all areas,
particularly those involving collection, analysis and exchange of information; research;
technology transfer; capacity-building; awareness building; the promotion of an integrated
approach in developing national strategies to combat desertification and assistance
in ensuring that adequate financial resources are available for programmes to combat
desertification and mitigate the effects of drought.

104
In real terms, status as a signatory party would also allow a State:

• To show solidarity with affected countries in facing such an urgent and growing issue
of global dimensions;
• To benefit from cooperation with other affected countries, and with developed
countries, in designing and implementing its own programmes to combat
desertification and mitigate the effects of drought;
• To improve access to relevant technologies and data;
• To benefit by participation as a party in the work of the Committee on Science and
Technology;
• To take part in the network to support the implementation of the Convention
mandated by article 25; and
105

“While money may make
the world go round, what
makes money go round
is ultimately the trillions of
dollars generated by the
planet’s goods and services
from the air cleaning and
climate change countering
processes of forests to the
fisheries and the coast line
protection power of coral
reefs.”
Achim Steiner,
UNEP Executive Director
106
• To nominate scientists for inclusion on the roster of experts from which ad hoc
panels will be established to deal with specific scientific and technical issues.
Signatory parties are entitled to participate in the networking of relevant institutions,
agencies and bodies. These networks may be expanded to include aspects of land
degradation that are of particular concern to States ratifying or acceding.
www.unccd.int
E.  MEAs on seas and inland water
Overview
The Eastern African region, also referred to as the Western Indian Ocean, is home to
some of the world’s most valuable coastal and marine ecosystems. The region’s mangrove
forests, seagrass beds, seashores, lagoons and coral reefs provide essential habitats for a rich
biodiversity of species. It is conservatively estimated that the region supports more than
11,000 species of plants and animals, 15 per cent of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
More than 20 per cent of the world’s tropical inshore fish species are found exclusively in the
region, as are nesting sites for 70 per cent of the world’s marine turtles. The livelihood and
recreation needs of some 30 million people depend on these resources. Compared to many
regions, the Eastern African region is still largely unspoiled.
A variety of human activities, however, are contributing to the rapid degradation of
the marine and coastal environment of this region. These activities include unplanned
urbanization, the discharge of untreated municipal waste water and industrial effluent,
destructive fishing practices, overexploitation of resources and alteration and destruction of
the habitat.
By far the largest cluster of MEAs, the 17 regional seas conventions and action plans are a
global mosaic of agreements with one over-arching objective: the protection and sustainable
use of marine and coastal resources. In the early years, shortly after the Stockholm
Conference, the regional seas programmes focused on marine pollution control. In the ensuing
25 years they have evolved into multi-sectoral agreements dealing with integrated coastal area
management which in several cases means links to the management of contiguous freshwater
basins; land-based sources of pollution; conservation and sustainable use of living marine
resources and the impact of offshore exploration and exploitation of oil and gas.

The Barcelona Convention (1976), the oldest of these agreements, fostered the establishment
of the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development which is serviced by the
Secretariat of the Convention.

This group also includes the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the
Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA) and the International Coral Reef
Initiative (ICRI), both of which were adopted in 1995. The purpose of ICRI is to galvanize
Governments and a wide range of stakeholders into improving management practices,
increasing capacity and political support and sharing information on the health of coral reefs
and related ecosystems, including mangroves and sea grass beds. In both agreements, the
regional seas conventions and action plans operate at regional level as stepping stones towards
the implementation of the global agreements. In another sense the Global Programme of
Action is closely linked to the chemicals-related conventions on issues such as agrochemicals,
persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Similarly the work of ICRI is closely associated
with the biodiversity-related conventions, specifically CBD, CITES and Ramsar.

MEAs on seas and inland water

Global
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Regional
• Abidjan Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the
Marine and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region

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 • Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the
Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern Africa Region
• Convention for the Establishment of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization
• SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses
• Barcelona Convention for Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution

Sustainable: A resource United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS)
or system that meets
The law of the sea developed from the struggle between coastal States seeking to expand
present needs without
their control over marine areas adjacent to their coastlines. By the end of the eighteenth
compromising those of
century, it was understood that States had sovereignty over their territorial sea. The
future generations.
maximum breadth of the territorial sea was generally considered to be three miles – the
distance that a shore-based cannon could reach and that a coastal State could therefore
control.

After the Second World War, the international community requested that the United Nations
International Law Commission consider codifying the existing laws relating to the oceans. The
commission began working towards this in 1949 and prepared four draft conventions, which
were adopted at the first United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea:

First United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS I), held from 24
February to 29 April 1958. UNCLOS I adopted the four conventions which are commonly
known as the 1958 Geneva Conventions:

• Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone;

• Convention on the High Seas;
• Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas;
• Convention on the Continental Shelf.

While considered a positive step, the conventions did not go so far as to establish the
maximum breadth of the territorial sea.

108
Second United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS II), held from 17
March to 26 April 1960. UNCLOS II did not result in any international agreements. The
conference failed to fix a uniform breadth for the territorial sea or establish consensus on
sovereign fishing rights.

Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), held from 1973
to 1982. UNCLOS III worked on the issues brought up at the previous conferences. Over
160 countries participated in the nine-year convention, which finally came into force on
14 November 1994, 21 years after the first meeting of UNCLOS III and one year after
ratification by the sixtieth State. The first 60 ratifications were almost all made by developing European Union: A
States. family of democratic
European countries,
One major feature of the Convention was the definition of maritime zones: the territorial committed to working
sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf, the high sea, the together for peace and
international sea-bed area and archipelagic waters. The Convention also made provision for prosperity. The following
the passage of ships, protection of the marine environment, freedom of scientific research, 25 Member States (as of
and exploitation of resources. May 2004) belong to the
Union: Austria, Belgium,
The Convention is an unprecedented attempt by the international community to regulate Cyprus, Czech Republic,
the resources of the sea and uses of the ocean in all their aspects, thus bringing stability Denmark, Estonia,
to the very source of life of mankind. Across the globe, Governments have taken steps to Germany, Greece,
exercise their jurisdiction over these extended areas of adjacent ocean. They are taking steps Finland, France, Hungary,
to exercise their rights over neighbouring seas and to assess the resources of their waters and Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
the resources of the floor of the continental shelf. The States involved have nearly always Lithuania, Luxembourg,
acted in accordance with the Convention, particularly after it came into force, and its rapid Malta, Netherlands,
acceptance by the international community has formed the basis for all actions undertaken Poland, Portugal,
with regard to the oceans and the law of the sea. Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/ Sweden, United Kingdom.
convention_overview_convention.htm
http://www.continentalshelf.org/index.cfm?pageID=10

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 Note
Because UNCLOS regulates all issues related to the sea and its use, it is not generally
regarded as an MEA.

Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and
Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Convention)
The Abidjan Convention is an agreement concluded by countries of the west and central African
region for the protection, management and development of its marine and coastal environment.
Participating The Convention covers the marine environment, coastal zones and related inland waters falling
Countries in the within the jurisdiction of the States of the west and central African region, from Mauritania to
Nairobi Convention: Namibia, which have become contracting parties to the Convention. The aim of the Convention
Comoros, France is to protect and manage the marine environment and coastal areas of the western African region.
(La Reunion), Kenya, www.unep.org/delc/law
Madagascar, Mauritius,
Mozambique, Seychelles, Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal
Somalia, the United Environment of the Eastern African Region (Nairobi Convention)
Republic of Tanzania and The Nairobi Convention is a comprehensive umbrella agreement applicable to the eastern
South Africa (joined in African region for the protection, management and development of its marine and coastal
2003) environment. It lists the sources of pollution that require control, identifies the environment
management issues that need cooperative efforts and also deals with specially protected
Environmental areas, cooperation in cases of emergencies, environmental impact assessment and technical
Impact Assessment: cooperation. The aim of the convention is to protect and manage the marine environment and
The analysis of coastal areas of the eastern African region.
biological, physical,
social and economic Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) and the Convention for Protection of the
factors to determine Mediterranean Sea against Pollution (Barcelona Convention)
the environmental and The Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) was adopted in Barcelona, Spain, in 1975 by 16
social consequences of Mediterranean States and the then European Community, under the auspices of UNEP. Its
a proposed development legal framework is based on the Barcelona Convention adopted in 1976 and revised in 1995,
action. and six protocols covering specific aspects of environmental protection.

110
Since its adoption by all the Mediterranean States and the European Community, the Contracting Parties
Action Plan has served as the basis for the development of a comprehensive environment in the Abidjan
and development programme in the region involving the Mediterranean coastal States, Convention: Angola,
specialist organizations within the United Nations system and intergovernmental and Benin, Cameroon, Cape
non-governmental programmes and organizations. MAP covers coastal zone management, Verde, Congo, Côte
pollution assessment and control, protection of ecosystems and preservation of biodiversity. d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea,
In 1995, it was revised to become a more action-oriented programme and an instrument for Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,
sustainable development in the region. guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Liberia, Mauritania,
African countries that are parties to this agreement include Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Namibia, Nigeria, Sao
Jamahiriya, Morocco and Tunisia. Tome and Principe,
www.unep.org/regionalseas Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Togo and Congo, South
Convention for the Establishment of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization
Africa.
The Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization was established to foster cooperation amongst
the contracting parties in issues to do with lake Victoria. It aims to harmonize national
Sustainability: is an
measures for the sustainable utilization of the resources of the lake and to adopt and
economic, social, and
develop conservation and management mechanisms to assure the health of the ecosystems
environmental concept. It
and the sustainability of its resources. (1994).
is intended to be a means
www.unep.org/delc/law
of configuring civilization
and human activity so that
Protocol on Shared Watercourses in the Southern African Development Community
society and its members
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) adopted the SADC protocol
are able to meet their
to provide for the establishment of a river basin organization to enable the sharing of
needs and express their
transboundary water resources and harmonize legislation and policies throughout the
greatest potential in the
region. It also facilitates the sharing of national and local experiences and best practices in
present, while preserving
integrated water resource management. The protocol assists the SADC secretariat in the
biodiversity and natural
process of establishing and implementing infrastructure and services for water division
ecosystems, and planning
(adopted in 1995 and revised in 2000).
and acting for the ability
www.unep.org/delc/law
to maintain these ideals
indefinitely.

111
 Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-
based Activities (GPA)
As the name suggests, GPA is a comprehensive plan drawn up for the protection of the
marine environment. The major threats to the health, productivity and biodiversity of
the marine environment arise from human activities on land – both in coastal areas
and further inland. Around 80 per cent of ocean pollution originates from land-based
activities including municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes and run-off, as well as
atmospheric deposition. These contaminants affect the most productive areas of the marine
environment, including estuaries and coastal waters. The marine environment is also
threatened by physical changes to the coastal zone, including the destruction of habitats that
are crucial to the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem.

In response to these major problems, Governments declared their commitment to protect

and preserve the marine environment from the adverse environmental impacts of land-
based activities. The Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine
Environment from Land-based Activities and the Washington Declaration were adopted
in 1995 and UNEP was given the task of leading the coordination effort and establishing
a GPA Coordination Office. The comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach of GPA reflects
the desire of Governments to strengthen the collaboration and coordination of all agencies
with mandates relevant to the impact of land-based activities on the marine environment,
through their participation in a global programme.

GPA is designed to be a source of theoretical and practical guidance for national and
regional authorities to help them in devising and implementing sustained action to prevent,
reduce, control or eliminate marine degradation caused by land-based activities. The aim
of GPA is to prevent this type of degradation of the marine environment by making it
easier for States to carry out their duty of preserving and protecting that environment. The
Governments in question recommended, as a priority, the establishment of an information
and data clearing-house as a means of mobilizing experience and expertise, including the
facilitation of effective scientific, technical and financial cooperation and capacity-building.

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The implementation of GPA is primarily the task of Governments, in close partnership
with all stakeholders including local communities, public organizations, non-governmental
organizations and the private sector. The creation of national and regional programmes
of action is crucial to the success of this implementation. UNEP, as the secretariat of GPA,
together with its partners, will facilitate and assist Governments in their efforts. UNEP, the
other regional seas programmes and the GPA information and data clearing-house are all
part of this implementation process.
www.gpa.unep.org

113
 Recommended Reading

Education for Sustainable Development Innovations -

Programmes for Universities in Africa

E ducation for Sustainable Development introduces a focus on values and ethics, and
on new challenges for multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary dialogue, teaching and
research. It also encourages universities to enhance their role in shaping society’s future,
and in seeking solutions to Africa’s environmental and developmental challenges. The
UNEP ESD Innovations Course and Toolkit provide a platform for discussing and examining
sustainable development innovations in different African universities. The course gives a
broad orientation to the concept of sustainable
development, and introduces university teachers
and managers to the range of possibilities for
action that exist in teaching, research, community
engagement and management. The toolkit also
aims to strengthen and complement the broader
dimensions of the Mainstreaming Environment
and Sustainability in Africa (MESA) Universities
Partnership, which engages a wide range of
university teachers, researchers, students and
managers

United Nations Environment Programme. 2006.

Education for Sustainable Development Innovations
- Programmes for Universities in Africa.
Share-Net, Howick
ISBN: 92-807-2718-4

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VIII.  International environmental governance

Implementation of international environmental law at the national level

A
genda 21 underlines the importance of implementing international treaties through
the enactment and enforcement of laws and regulations at regional, national, state,
provincial, local or municipal level. The enforcement of these laws and regulations
is essential for the implementation of most international agreements in the fields of the
environment and development; such treaties often incorporate obligations to report back on
legislative measures.

Challenges to the implementation of MEAs

There is a delicate balance in international treaties. The treaties that are appealing enough
to gain widespread support are usually not hard-hitting enough to be effective. The
Framework Convention on Climate Change, for example, was felt to be lacking, despite its
many valuable provisions, so the Kyoto Protocol was created to supplement it. On the other
hand, treaties which are tough may have difficulty attracting enough support to be effective.

The majority of African States have ratified those MEAs that are of relevance to the region
at global and regional levels. MEAs are recognized as the primary instruments for State
commitment to the pursuit of sustainable development.

The main MEAs of the past two decades have dealt with issues that are crucial to the
management of environmental resources, such as finding new and additional resources for
environmental programmes; the transfer of technology; mechanisms for addressing key
questions such as the loss of biological diversity and poverty alleviation and institutional
frameworks for dealing with environment and development concerns.

It has to be said that, while these global agreements clearly offer hope where management
of the environment is concerned, their actual achievements have been very limited. The
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 agreements signify a collective will to address environmental problems, but many African
countries have received no benefit from the full potential offered by the global MEAs,
and have even found themselves in a position where they cannot properly implement the
provisions of the MEAs that they themselves have ratified.

There have also been operational difficulties with regional and subregional environmental
agreements, largely due to a lack of adequate and sustainable financial and human resources.
This is true of the Abidjan and Nairobi conventions, both of which were developed in the
1980s under the auspices of the UNEP Regional Seas Programme; the Nairobi Convention
took 11 years to come into force and neither convention succeeded in establishing a fully
operational Regional Coordinating Unit.

Under pressure from some African Governments, UNEP is now taking steps to compensate
for these delays and shortcomings and a joint secretariat for the conventions has been set
up to coordinate and build synergies between ongoing projects and programmes in Central,
Western and Eastern Africa. When adequate financial assistance is available programmes can
have a successful outcome, as we can see with the Nile Basin Initiative. This was launched in
1999 as an initiative on the part of the riparian countries to establish a framework to fight
poverty and promote economic development in the Nile Basin area.

The Nile Basin is home to around 160 million people and, although it is endowed with a
wealth and variety of natural resources such as high mountains, tropical forests, woodlands,
lakes, savannas, wetlands, arid lands and deserts, it is also characterized by poverty,
instability and environmental degradation. Furthermore, its population is expected to
double in the next 25 years, thereby placing increased stress on water and other natural
resources. The Nile Basin Initiative is based on a shared vision, “to achieve sustainable socio-
economic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from, the common
Nile Basin water resources.”

There are more than 500 multilateral agreements in existence and even though African
countries are not signatories to all of them, they are committed to a much greater number
than they can cope with economically.
116
Despite the difficulties and problems posed by the demands and commitments of MEAs,
they have resulted in some real success stories such as the Lusaka Agreement on Illegal Trade
in Wild Flora and Fauna and some of the other conventions focusing on trade in wildlife
(such as CITES). It was largely as a result of these agreements that the elephant and rhino
populations in Africa survived after years of being exposed to illegal hunting for ivory. A ban
on the trade of wildlife products reduced the demand for these products and gave a great
boost to conservation work.

Global Ministerial Environment Forum

The efforts of UNEP to support a coherent structure of international environmental

governance has been greatly enhanced by the establishment of the Global Ministerial
Environment Forum, an annual gathering of environment ministers from round the world
which has been holding meetings since the year 2000 as part of the UNEP Governing
Council’s regular and special sessions.

In 2001 the Forum convened an intergovernmental group of ministers or their

representatives in the field of international environmental governance to report on
improving coherence in international policy-making, strengthening the effectiveness of
multilateral environmental agreements and enhancing the role of UNEP.

The discussions on international environmental governance – or IEG – confirmed that, in

the three decades since the establishment of UNEP in 1972, the number of organizations
dealing with environmental issues has grown enormously. This raises fundamental
concerns about overlap and conflict in these bodies both in how they are structured and
in the specific issues they focus on. The deliberations and recommendations of the IEG
process provided not only a basis for discussion but resulted in some specific proposals
for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, Johannesburg 2002) such
as the request to the Secretary-General that the international framework for sustainable
development should be supported and promoted. This led Governments and other
concerned organizations to give increased attention to the issues relating to IEG. The 2005

117
 World Summit Outcome, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 60/1 of 16
September 2005, stressed the need for increased efficiency in the environmental activities
undertaken within the United Nations system.
http://www.unep.org/delc/IEG

Environmental governance in Africa has grown more coordinated in recent years,

resulting in the establishment of bodies such as the Africa Ministerial Conference on the
Environment (AMCEN). Other coordinated regional initiatives include the Africa Ministers’
Conference on Water (AMCOW) and the NEPAD environment initiative. Increased
regional cooperation and more inclusive policies will further reinforce the gains that have
been made by ministerial forums, expert forums and other relevant forums. These provide
the necessary mechanism to exert positive peer pressure on the various countries and
organizations involved.

118
 “Our purpose here is to
IX.  Key milestones reconcile man’s legitimate,
immediate ambitions
African Convention (Algiers Convention) – 1968 with the rights of others,
with respect for all life-

A
frican countries adopted the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and supporting systems,
Natural Resources in Algiers in September 1968. The main objective of the Algiers and with the rights of
Convention was to encourage individual and joint action for the conservation, generations yet unborn.”
utilization and development of soil, water, flora and fauna, for the present and future welfare
of humankind. Maurice Strong, first
UNEP Executive Director,
The Algiers Convention states, as its main principle: “The contracting States shall undertake speaking during the 1972
to adopt the measures necessary to ensure conservation, utilization and development of Stockholm Conference on
soil, water, floral and faunal resources in accordance with scientific principles and with due the Human Environment
regard to the best interests of the people.”

Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment - 1972

The Stockholm Conference was attended by representatives of 113 countries, together with
scores of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The Conference drew
attention to the need to preserve natural habitats to attain a sustained improvement in living
conditions for all, and the vital importance of international cooperation in the achievement
of this goal. The emphasis was on solving environmental problems, but social, economic
and developmental factors were not ignored.

The Stockholm Declaration adopted at the conference lays down the principles of
environmental protection and development, as well as practical recommendations for their
implementation. It may be regarded as one of the foundation stones of the international
policy that would come to be known as “sustainable development.” The conference led in the
same year to the establishment of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP),
based in Nairobi, Kenya.

119
 Our Common Future (Brundtland Commission) – 1987
In 1983, the United Nations Secretary-General requested Gro Harlem Brundtland to head
a commission to review environmental and developmental issues. In 1987, the Brundtland
Commission’s report, “Our Common Future” declared that “a new development path was
required, one that sustained human progress not just in a few places for a few years, but for the
entire planet for the distant future.” The report also used the term “sustainable development”,
which it defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” It called for renewed and reinforced
efforts to eliminate widespread poverty. The report emphasised the importance of international
cooperation, urging “new dimensions of multilateralism” to achieve sustainable human progress.

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit)

- 1992
This conference, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was attended by over 10,000 delegates, including
116 heads of State and 1,400 NGOs, and was covered by over 9,000 journalists. It resulted in the
Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Statement on Forest Principles.

The Earth Summit – also referred to as UNCED – reinforced the Brundtland Commission’s
declaration of the interdependence of environment and development, stating in Agenda
21: “Integration of environment and development concerns and greater attention to them
will lead to the fulfilment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, better protected
and managed ecosystems and a safer, more prosperous future.” This statement is just as true
today and the challenges it raises are being faced directly by African countries.

Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally

by organizations within the United Nations, Governments, and relevant bodies in every
area where there is human impact on the environment. Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration
on Environment and Development, and the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable
Management of Forests were adopted by more than 178 Governments at the Summit.

120
The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was set up in December 1992 to
ensure effective follow-up of the Earth Summit, involving monitoring and reporting on
the implementation of agreements at local, national, regional and international levels. It
was agreed that a five year review of progress made by the Earth Summit would be carried
out in 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly, meeting in special session. The full
implementation of Agenda 21, the programme for further implementation of Agenda 21
and the commitments to the Rio principles, were strongly reaffirmed at the World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August to
4 September 2002.

Agenda 21 deals with the pressing issues of the day, and also aims at preparing the world
for the challenges of the century. It reflects a global consensus and political commitment
at the highest level with regard to development and environment cooperation. The main
responsibility for its successful implementation lies with the Governments themselves,
whose national strategies, plans, policies and processes are of paramount importance. These
national efforts must also be supported and reinforced by international cooperation, in
which context the United Nations system has a key role to play. The contributions of the
various international, regional and subregional organizations should be actively encouraged,
together with extensive participation by the public, the non-governmental organizations
and other relevant groups.
http://www.un.org/esa/earthsummit, www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21.htm

Rio+5 – 1997
The special session of the general Assembly to review and appraise the implementation
of Agenda 21 – known as Rio+5 or Earth Summit+5 – was organized in 1997, five years
after the Earth Summit, by the United Nations General Assembly to review progress in
the implementation of the Rio goals, and to agree on measures to deal with the obstacles
that were impeding full implementation. The session noted that, “since 1992, sustainable
development has been more widely accepted as an integrating concept that seeks to unify
and bring together economic, social and environmental issues in a participatory process
of decision making.” It was felt that real progress had been made towards establishing a
121
 conceptual framework for sustainable development planning. The importance of Rio+5
was that it provided a holistic evaluation of the problems, which served as a sound basis for
future planning.
http://www.un.org/esa/earthsummit

Millennium Summit – 2000

In September 2000, the United Nations General Assembly held the Millennium Summit to
confront the grave issues facing humankind in the new millennium. This summit resulted in
the Millennium Declaration, which called for the prudent management of all living species
and natural resources in a sustainable manner, and for a move away from unsustainable
patterns of consumption and production. The Millennium Declaration set several goals and
targets that have since become known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
http://www.un.org/millennium

Malmö Ministerial Declaration, 2000

A special session of the UNEP Governing Council was held in Malmö, Sweden, in May
2000. The resulting Malmö Ministerial Declaration stated the urgent need for reinvigorated
international cooperation and called for the increased mobilization of domestic and
international resources towards sustainable development goals. The key recommendation
of the declaration was to “review the requirements for a greatly strengthened institutional
structure for international environmental governance based on an assessment of future
needs for an institutional architecture that has the capacity to effectively address wide-
ranging environmental threats in a globalizing world. ” The Declaration further affirmed
that, to that end, the role of UNEP should be strengthened and its financial base broadened
and made more predictable.
http://www.unep.org/malmo/malmo_ministerial.htm

122
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) – 2002
WSSD, also known as Rio+10, reviewed the implementation of the goals of the Earth
Summit with a view to renewing, at the highest political level, the global commitment to
sustainable development. Prior to the summit, Kofi Annan had put forward the so-called
WEHAB initiative, proposing that the summit give priority to problems connected with
water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity. Over 30,000 representatives of State and
non-State sectors attended, making WSSD the largest United Nations meeting in history.
The summit resulted in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, which sets out several
specific targets connected with poverty, hunger, drinking water, marine protected areas and
biodiversity.
www.johannesburgsummit.org

123
 Recommended Reading

Trip with Drip the Water Drop:

A Learning-by-doing Workbook on Water for Children

E nvironmental issues are best taught and learnt by experience and through activities.
Action towards improving and protecting the environment, however small, make a
difference. And children are the best ambassadors for our planet.

Produced as a workbook, CD, and webversion, this colourful package contains basic facts,
interesting information, and several “learning by doing” activities on various aspects of
water. The package communicates both the quantity and quality aspects of water that are of
immediate concern to all. More importantly, it carries the message that every one can play
a role in conserving this resource. The web version is available on the UNEP website www.
unep.org/training. A multimedia system is required to run the CD. A Trip with the Drip - The
Water Drop, is available in English, Japanese and French. It was designed, developed and
produced by UNEP in collaboration with (CEE) Centre for Environment Education, India.

Year of publication: 2005.

ISBN: 92-807-2581-5

124
X.  Major environmental institutions in Africa

A.  African Ministerial Conference on the Environment

T
he African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) is a permanent forum
where African ministers of the environment can discuss matters of relevance to the
environment of the continent. AMCEN was established in 1985 when African ministers
met in Egypt and adopted the Cairo Programme for African Cooperation. This conference is
convened every second year. Its mandate is to provide advocacy for environmental protection
in Africa; to ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner;
to ensure that social and economic development is realized at all levels and to ensure that
agricultural activities and practices meet the food security needs of the region.

AMCEN has continued to support important political developments related to the

environment, including multilateral environmental agreements. AMCEN led the process
behind the development of the NEPAD environment initiative and is now guiding its
implementation.

The Ministerial Conference prompted and encouraged the preparation of the two
comprehensive regional reports on the state of Africa’s environment, Africa Environment
Outlook (AEO I and II) drawn up by UNEP. The AEO process has been adopted by AMCEN
as its instrument for monitoring and reporting on the environment. In addition, AMCEN
successfully facilitated the revision of the 1968 Africa Convention on the Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources (Algiers Convention).

Measures are being taken to strengthen the linkages between AMCEN and the region’s two
marine and coastal conventions: the Nairobi Convention and Abidjan Convention.

AMCEN has continued to monitor closely the implementation of those environmental

conventions established in furtherance of the Earth Summit in 1992. These include the
Convention on Biological Diversity and its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; the Convention
125
 to Combat Desertification; and the Framework Convention on Climate Change and its
Kyoto Protocol.

Institutional arrangements
The supreme body of AMCEN is the Conference, comprising African ministers responsible
for the environment. The ministers decided at the first session of AMCEN that the
Conference would meet every two years, and that a Bureau would be established to act on
its behalf between meetings. The UNEP Regional Office for Africa serves as the secretariat to
AMCEN.

Since the first session of AMCEN, a number of programmes and initiatives have been
developed to facilitate the effective implementation of its mandate to achieve environmental
protection in Africa. The most significant of these are the regional scientific and technical
committees and the network of national focal points, which have been working with limited
success on various thematic issues to advance the objectives of AMCEN in the region.

Achievements and challenges

AMCEN has been instrumental in advancing the environmental agenda in Africa in several
areas. These include:

• Highlighting environmental issues at all levels of society including the linkages with
poverty reduction, human and animal health, trade, water conservation, forestry
management, river basin management, etc;
• Providing a forum for the exchange of views and building consensus on issues of
common concern among policy makers at national, subregional, regional and global
levels;
• Providing a channel for the expression of Africa’s environmental concerns to other
regions and to the global community;
• Acting as the legitimate voice of Africa in environmental matters;
• Building a network of ministers for the environment in Africa and

126
 • Producing a number of publications to assist with the dissemination of
environmental information in Africa.

AMCEN has also continued to give firm political guidance on the multilateral
environmental agreements, paying particular attention to the implementation of the
post‑1992 Earth Summit environmental conventions as well as the World Summit on
Sustainable Development.

AMCEN, however, faces many challenges. These include:

• Difficulties in securing sustainable financing for the implementation of its activities;

• Harmonising regional and global environmental issues in such a way as to ensure
that they receive adequate attention at national and subregional levels;
• Translating global environmental concerns into practical, feasible and achievable
programmes of action at national, subregional and regional levels.
www.unep.org/roa/Amcen

B.  African Ministers’ Council on Water

Water situation
An adequate supply of clean water is the most important precondition for sustaining human
life, for maintaining ecological systems that support all life and for achieving sustainable
development. Water is the key natural resource throughout Africa. It is abundant in Africa
on a regional scale but unevenly distributed. Although a few African countries do enjoy
high annual averages of water per person, many already are or soon will be in conditions
of water-stress (2,000 m3 or less per person annually) or of scarcity (1,000 m3 or less per
person annually) where the population cannot be sustained using available water resources.
Given current population projections, over 400 million people are expected to be living in
not less than 17 water- scarce African countries by the year 2010. Their lack of water will
severely constrain food production, ecosystem protection and economic development.

127
 Throughout Africa the allocation of water is often unfairly manipulated by man. With recurring
drought and chronic water shortages in many areas, the majority of African countries and
people pay an increasingly high price for water or the lack of it. The highest price is often paid
by the poor majority and this can be measured in terms of money spent to buy small quantities
of water, calories expended to fetch water from distant sources, impaired health, diminished
livelihoods and even lost lives. Today, over 300 million people in Africa still do not have
reasonable access to safe water. Even more lack adequate sanitation.

Aquatic species, habitats and ecosystems are also at risk. The increasing demand for water
throughout Africa to support greater agricultural productivity, industrial expansion and urban
growth, and to meet human needs means that there is less water available for maintaining
aquatic ecosystems and the many other species and environmental services they support.

Although water in Africa is crucial for sustainable national development it is rarely confined
neatly within the boundaries of a single country. With over 50 major international water
basins in Africa, most water supplies are shared by two or more countries. Most international
basins are not governed by agreements on equitable use or environmental protection and few
have effective institutional arrangements for consultation or cooperation. There is a lack of
procedures for avoiding or resolving international disputes over water.

The Ministers responsible for water resources from 41 African countries met in Abuja,
Nigeria, on 29 and 30 April 2002 and decided to form the African Ministers’ Council
on Water (AMCOW) primarily to promote cooperation, security, social and economic
development and poverty eradication among member States through managing water
resources and providing water supply services.

Mission and objectives of AMCOW

The mission of AMCOW is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advice on
the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic
development and the maintenance of African ecosystems.

128
The functions of AMCOW are:

• To continue to monitor the state of Africa’s water resources and to promote activities
of common interest to Africa.
• To facilitate regional and international co-operation through the co-ordination of
policies and actions amongst African countries regarding water resources issues.
• To support trans-national co-operation on water- related issues through the
development of common positions on matters of global concern, and to encourage
co-operation in the implementation of relevant conventions and international
agreements.
• To encourage mechanisms that will promote best practices in water policy reforms,
integrated water resources management, food security, water supply and sanitation
and assist in the implementation of national, regional and subregional programmes.
• To provide a forum for dialogue with United Nations agencies and other partners on
water programmes.
• To promote participation in regional studies on climate change, develop observation
networks, encourage information exchange and set up strategies for the management
of water resources in time of drought and floods and develop policies and strategies
to eliminate the water crisis in Africa.
• To ensure transparency in the financing of the water sector in African countries and
seek additional funding.
www.amcow.org

African Water Facility (AWF): this is an initiative led by AMCOW to mobilize financial
resources for water resources development in Africa. The African Development Bank is
hosting the facility at the request of AMCOW. The primary goal of AWF is to help reduce
poverty and promote development in Africa by improving access to water supply and
sanitation within the context of the Africa Water Vision and based on the principles of
integrated water resources management (IWRM). The facility has been developed as a
specific contribution to the achievement of the MDGs and targets and, in particular, the
target “to reduce by one half, by the year 2015, the proportion of people who do not have
access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation”.
129
 AWF was legally established by the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank,
at the annual meeting in Kampala on 25 May, 2004. The objective of AWF is to attract
increased investment in the relevant field and to use those funds to achieve the national
and regional water sector targets. This can be achieved by: making the environment more
attractive to potential investors; providing direct capital investment to invite greater
investment in sustainable development; focusing on integrated water resources management
at the national level and transboundary water resources management at the regional level
(AMCOW/NEPAD priorities).

It has been recognised C.  New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
that a healthy and
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is a vision and strategic
productive environment is
framework for Africa’s renewal. It is a multisectoral initiative that seeks to build partnerships
a prerequisite for the New
and promote cooperation between African countries as well as between Africa and
Partnership for Africa’s
other international groups, such as the G‑8. Within Africa, an important aspect of this
Development. It is further
cooperation is the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
recognised that the range
of issues necessary to
APRM has developed and adopted a coherent environment action plan and strategies
nurture this environmental
to address the region’s environmental challenge in an integrated manner. The NEPAD
base is vast and complex,
environment action plan regards better governance, poverty eradication, economic growth
and that a systematic
and income distribution as an integral part of Africa’s sustainable development.
combination of initiatives
is necessary to develop
a coherent environmental Environment initiative of NEPAD
programme. The NEPAD environment initiative recognizes that the environment question is central to
NEPAD Framework its work. It accepts that the issues surrounding the environmental question are many and
Document complex, and that a systematic combination of initiatives is necessary to develop a coherent
environmental programme. A core objective of the environment initiative is to combat
poverty and contribute to social and economic development in Africa.

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The environment initiative has targeted eight programme areas for priority interventions:

Combating land degradation, drought and desertification: Land is the critical resource
and the basis of survival for most people in Africa. Agriculture contributes about 40 per
cent of the regional GDP and employs more than 60 per cent of the labour force. Land
degradation is a serious problem throughout Africa and is a threat to economic and physical
survival. Key factors include escalating soil erosion, declining fertility, salinization, soil
compaction and pollution by agrochemicals and desertification. As the work of NEPAD
covers the whole region, it follows that the action plan to address land degradation,
desertification and drought under NEPAD should be based on regional and subregional
action programmes under the Convention to Combat Desertification for Africa.

Wetland conservation: This involves the implementation of African best practices on

wetland conservation, where social and ecological benefits are derived from private sector
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 investment in this area. Wetlands in Africa sustain rural livelihoods across large parts of
the continent. Their functions include maintenance of the water table by facilitating the
movement of large volumes of water into underground aquifers, thus recharging the water
table. They also prevent floods and erosion by slowing surface runoff and reducing overflow
into riverbanks downstream, which avoids a build-up of erosive flood conditions.

Wetlands play an important role in storm protection, water purification and micro-climate
stabilization. They provide a habitat for various species and for mangroves and other wood
products, which are harvested for fuel, timber and medicinal purposes They are extremely
important to local economies and to many communities where fish is almost the sole source
of animal protein. Mats, baskets and thatching material are derived from grasses and reeds
in wetlands all over Africa. The provision of other life-supporting materials such as pasture
for livestock, particularly during the dry season, and clean and reliable sources of water for
human consumption, agriculture and industry are also among the services provided by
wetlands.

Invasive alien species: Assistance is being sought in the struggle to prevent and control
invasive alien species which, as a contributing factor to poverty and a primary cause of
species loss and ecosystem decline, pose a real threat to sustainable development. Such
assistance, which could take the form of labour-intensive initiatives, is critical both for the
preservation of the ecosystems and for economic well-being. The prevention, control and
management of invasive alien species will contribute significantly to Africa’s economic
recovery and development, and the goal of the programme dealing with this issue is to
minimize the impact of invasive alien species on Africa’s people, economies and ecological
systems.

Coastal management: Recommendations on best practices should be made, from which

a wide-ranging programme can be drawn up for the maximum protection and sensible
utilization of coastal resources. Africa’s coastal ecosystems and marine biodiversity
contribute significantly to the economies of its countries, mainly through fishing and
tourism, which constitute a major source of livelihood for many households. Coastal and

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marine resources contribute considerably to the revenue of the countries of the region, and
the fisheries sector is also a significant employer.

In all, 70 per cent of the world’s fisheries are considered over-exploited. There has been a
sharp decline in the catch rate along Africa’s coast. Moreover, marine and coastal resources
are under increasing threat from development-related activities. As much as 38 per cent
of the African coastline of 40,000 km, including 68 per cent of marine protected areas, is
considered to be under serious threat. The uncontrolled urbanization of the coastal zone is a
major cause of such degradation. In some cases, marine pollution from major coastal cities
has actually reached toxic levels.

Global warming: The initial focus will be on monitoring and regulating the impact of
climate change. Africa accounts for 14 per cent of the world’s population. Nine out of ten
persons in Africa, however, have no access to electricity and three quarters of their energy
comes from traditional fuels. Consequently, Africa’s emissions of climate-change inducing
carbon dioxide are still low, estimated to be only 3.5 per cent of the world’s total. In
addition, Africa’s vast forest reserves serve as a significant sink for carbon dioxide and thus
play an important role in alleviating and balancing the emissions of industrialized countries.

Although Africa has not historically contributed to climate change and its forests have
played the role of a significant sink for the carbon emitted by industrialized countries, it
is predicted that the continent will be the most affected by the adverse effects of climate
change, as many aspects of African economies are still sensitive to climatic hazards.

Cross-border conservation areas: This linked initiative seeks to build on the actions now
being taken, seeking partnerships within countries to create employment by boosting
conservation and tourism. Africa’s natural resources, like those of other continents, are
not confined to national borders. Accordingly, sustainable natural resource management
requires a coordinated transboundary policy and it is important that any action taken
should be in conformity with existing agreements upheld by the countries concerned.

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 Transboundary collaboration on the sustainable use, conservation and management of
natural resources can provide great economic and conservation benefits; much greater
than could be achieved by countries working in isolation. A transboundary approach to the
sustainable use and conservation of natural resources within the Environment Initiative of
NEPAD should be seen as a way of furthering existing national initiatives and should, where
possible, build on these national level initiatives.

Environmental governance: This relates to securing the institutional, legal, planning,

training and capacity-building requirements that underpin all of the above.

Financing. A carefully structured and fair financing system is a necessity.

NEPAD Environment Initiative Action Plan: available at
http://dgef.unep.org/publications/nepad_publications/radBC8B1.doc

D. African Round Table on Sustainable Consumption And

Production (ARSCP)
ARSCP is a regional coordinating institution established by a charter adopted by the
third African Round Table on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ARSCP-3) in
Casablanca, Morocco, on 18 May 2004 and registered as a non-profit‑making NGO under
the laws of the United Republic of Tanzania on 6 September 2004.

the United Republic of Tanzania hosts the secretariat for ARSCP with the country’s Cleaner
Production Centre currently serving as the interim secretariat. The vision of ARSCP
is to achieve sustainable development for African countries while making an effective
contribution to poverty reduction, the improvement of well being and the protection and
conservation of the environment.

The mission of ARSCP is to promote the development of national and regional

capacities for the effective promotion and implementation of sustainable consumption
and production principles and to serve as the regional clearinghouse for sustainable
consumption and production activities in the Africa region.
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The overall objective of the ARSCP is to facilitate the development of national and regional
capacities for sustainable consumption and production and to promote the effective
implementation of the concepts and tools of sustainable consumption and production in
African countries. The specific targets of ARSCP within this overall objective are:

• To promote the establishment of national cleaner production centres (NCPCs) or

sustainable consumption and production promoting institutions (SCPs) in countries
where they do not exist and to facilitate support to strengthen existing such centres
and institutions in African countries;
• To facilitate the further integration of the concepts and principles of sustainable
consumption and production in national policy frameworks in the region;
• To provide the necessary support for the development, effective transfer and
assimilation of environmentally sound technologies that are of particular relevance
to African economies;
• To encourage specialization and facilitate information exchange and experience
sharing between SCPs and individual experts working within the region and at
international level;
• To strengthen cooperation between NCPCs and SCPs in African countries and
UNEP/UNIDO and other international organizations and NCPCs in other regions;
and
• To promote the development and integration of the sustainable cleaner production
curriculum in educational institutions in the region.

ARSCP is the principal technical institution entrusted with the further development
and implementation of the African 10 Year Framework Programme on Sustainable
Consumption and Production and is currently serving as the Vice-Chair of the Marrakech
Task Force on Cooperation with Africa for the 10-Year Framework Programme, which is led
by Germany.
www.arscp.org

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 Recommended Reading

UNEP Programmes and Resources for Environmental

Education and Training:
An Introductory Guide

T his guide showcases some of UNEP’s

many programmes and resources that
support the important work of environmental
education and training. It contains details of
courses in the UNEP Environmental Leadership
Programme, UNEP networks for environmental
training, UNEP’s commitment to supporting
environmental action learning activities that
link schools with their communities, training
programmes for women as managers of natural
resources, and examples of UNEP’s public
education programmes in newspapers and
television. These examples come from countries
and regions around the world; from  Finland
to southern Africa, from Latin America and the
Caribbean to  Australia, and from the Himalayas
to the USA. This guide also provides details of
some of the many books, multimedia materials
and web sites that UNEP has prepared to support environmental education and training.

Year of publication: 2004.

ISBN: 92-807-2434-7

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XI.  Reporting on the environment

T
o be an environmental reporter, it is necessary to have an understanding of scientific
language and practice, knowledge of historical environmental events, the ability
to keep abreast of environmental policy decisions and the work of environmental
organizations, a general understanding of current environmental concerns, and the ability
to communicate all of that information to the public in such a way that it can be easily
understood, despite its complexity.

Tracking multilateral environment agreements

The tools available to monitor international environmental agreements have changed
dramatically. International environmental policy has continued to evolve, and use of the
internet has risen dramatically.

Websites on MEAs generally provide an abundance of information on negotiated texts,

official documents, signature and ratification status, supporting analysis, newsletters, and
educational materials related to any given treaty. In addition, common search engines such
as Google and Yahoo generally do a good job of finding these sites when given the formal
name of the treaty.
“A well informed public
Many people are interested in browsing the full range of existing agreements. This style is necessary if we in the
of research is best served by searching collections of treaties and agreements. Several United Nations are to
organizations have constructed somewhat idiosyncratic collections tailored to their own succeed...”
specific purposes. Boutros-Boutros
Ghali, United Nations
ECOLEX, or the Environmental Law Information System, is a joint effort by IUCN, FAO Secretary-General
and UNEP. In ECOLEX, users can search by subject, key word, State, place and date of 1992 - 1996
adoption, geographic or institutional scope, depository, and free text. Each treaty record
contains links to a summary and full text of the treaty (where possible), a matrix describing
the signature and ratification status, subject headings, the geographic or institutional scope
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 of the treaty, the original language of the treaty and those into which it has been translated,
place and date of adoption, citation to an authoritative source, references from or to other
treaties, references from literature, references from international soft law and key words.
Maps with the signature and ratification status for each of the treaties listed in ECOLEX are
available from UNEP-Arendal
http://maps.grida.no/scripts/esrimap
www.ecolex.org

Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators Service starts with the same core set of
information as ECOLEX. It then supplements the collection of treaty texts with additional
texts and status information from the Tufts University Multilaterals Project, the Antarctic
Cooperative Research Centre and the Ramsar Convention Bureau. The database also
integrates time series indicators from the World Resources Institute and Freedom House
International. As a result, users can answer questions such as, “What are the values of
selected national resource indicators for all States that are (or are not) parties to a particular
treaty at a given time?” and “Based on the value of selected national resource indicators,
which States are parties to a particular treaty or treaties?”
http://sedac.ciesin.org/entri
http://fletcher.tufts. edu/multilaterals
www.antcrc.utas.edu.au/antcrc
www.ramsar.org

ENTRI, another very valuable site for environmental treaties, may be found at the following
Web address:

http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/entri/

FAOLEX, which is maintained by FAO, contains treaties, laws, and regulations on food,
agriculture, and renewable natural resources worldwide. Users can search by subject
(agriculture, animals, environment, food, fisheries, forestry, land, plants, water, or wildlife
and biodiversity), country, region, year, key words, words from the title, type of text

138
(international agreement, legislation, regulation, or miscellaneous), and language of record.
Each record contains the formal title, a list of signatories, the date of the text, notes related
to the entry into force, links to the full text of the document, comments, an abstract, and
keyword descriptors. This database contains more than 670 international agreements.

Additional treaty collections include the Yearbook of International Cooperation on

Environment and Development, the Internet Guide to International Fisheries Law and the
European Centre for Nature Conservation’s Guide to International Nature Conservation
Policy and Legislation. In addition, the International Institute for Sustainable Development
provides concise daily reporting on most major international environmental negotiations
and the American Society of International Law provides an excellent chapter on
international environmental law in its Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law.
www.asil.org/resource/envl.htm.
http://faolex.fao.org/faolex
www.ngo.grida.no/ggynet
www.oceanlaw.net/guide
www.ecnc.nl/doc/europe/legislat/conventi
www.iisd.ca/linkages

Navigating the environment sites of the United Nations

Beginning with the 1972 Conference on the Human Environment, the United Nations has
served as a catalyst for international environmental policy. Information about its activity in
this area is now available via the Internet.

The obvious place to start is the United Nations Home Page. This entrance provides basic
information about the structure and work of the UN. It also provides links to each of its
principal programme areas (peace and security, economic and social development, human
rights, humanitarian affairs, and international law) and to related services including press
releases, publication catalogues, and conference information. The bulk of United Nations

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 environment activities fall under the heading of “Economic and Social Development.”
This is where links can be found to the United Nations Environment Programme and the
Commission on Sustainable Development.

The UNEP site provides basic organizational information, milestone documents such
as Agenda 21 and the 1997 Nairobi Declaration on the future of UNEP, and links to the
secretariats of UNEP-sponsored conventions, such as the Convention on Biodiversity,
CITES, the Framework Convention on Climate Change and regional seas conventions.

Several UNEP offices maintain their own websites that supplement the basic information
provided by the central site. The Geneva office provides access to the International Registry
of Potentially Toxic Chemicals, the Information Unit for Conventions and the Global
Resources Information Database (GRID), which specializes in environment-related
geospatial databases. Norway’s GRID office specializes in state-of-the-environment reports.
The North American GRID office concentrates on environmental disaster response and
satellite remote sensing. GRID-Warsaw focuses on environmental conditions in Central and
Eastern Europe.

The World Conservation Monitoring Centre is concerned with biological diversity and
conservation biology. The Commission on Sustainable Development focuses on the
implementation of Agenda 21 and related materials. It also includes the documents issued by
Earth Summit+5 conference. Virtually all United Nations agencies and programmes deal with
one or another aspect of the environment. A comprehensive listing of United Nations websites
can be found at http://www.unsystem.org/ and http://www.undcp.org/unlinks.html.
www.un.org/esa/sustdev
www.biodiv.org
www.cites.org
www.cms.int
www.ramsar.org
www.unfccc.int
www.unccd.int

140
www.unep.ch/seas
www.unep.ch
http://irptc.unep.ch/irptc
www.unep.ch/iuc
www.grid.unep.ch/gridhome
www.grida.no
http://grid2.cr. usgs.gov
www.unep-wcmc.org
www.un.org/esa/earthsummit
www.unep.org/dec
www.svs-unepibmdb.net

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 Recommended Reference

EET Website
http://www.unep.org/training

U NEP’s Environmental Education

and Training has since the
beginning of 2006 embarked on a
mission to avail information-rich
content of UNEP-wide resources
and opportunities in environmental
education and training to the end-
users via the Internet. The all-new,
completely revamped and beautifully
designed website for Environmental
Education and Training is now
available online. The website offers
new enhancements and features
covering topical issues in education
for sustainable development and
the environmental education and
training events at the national, regional and global levels.

Please take a few moments to visit the website at http://www.unep.org/training, and let us
know what you think. Each comment and suggestion shall be carefully considered, so be
assured your efforts won’t be in vain. We want the site to work well for you. It’s our way of
saying thanks for taking valuable time to share your opinions and insight. After all, you’re the
reason it exists!

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X.  Conclusion

E
nvironmental reporting is a skill that requires a holistic approach to environmental
issues. As the environmental conscience of the United Nations, UNEP has a wide
array of programmes that address key environmental issues. This handbook has
highlighted these issues and provided an overview from Africa Environment Outlook 2 – Our
Environment, Our Wealth (AEO-2).

AEO-2 sees Africa’s environmental resources as an asset for the region’s development.
The report highlights the opportunities presented by the natural resource base to support
development and the objectives of the African Union and NEPAD. The report underlines
the need to ensure sustainable livelihoods, and the importance of environmental initiatives
in supporting them. Emphasis is put on what should and can be done (even with existing
constraints) with those environmental assets that remain rather than focusing on those that
have already been lost.

Sustainable development has thrust the environment into the heart of developmental issues,
making the sustainable usage of natural resources a global priority and concern. Against this
background, environmental reporting has steadily gained prominence and importance.

Africa requires special media attention. This is necessitated in part by the region’s wealth
of natural resources and the diversity of social and economic challenges that threaten to
undermine these resources. A clear understanding of such environmental dynamics will
greatly enrich media reporting of this continent. This handbook has sought to provide African
journalists with the information resources that they need for factual and readable reporting.

Environmental conventions are born out of intense negotiations between sovereign

countries. These conventions can make the difference between environmental health and
environmental decline. This is especially true for Africa where human vulnerability to
environmental change remains precariously high. This handbook has provided journalists

143
 with a concise and informative guide on conventions and filled in the background to those
conventions.

Africans in general and African journalists in particular, have a duty to ensure that Africa’s
environment is reported on accurately and professionally. It is to be hoped that this
handbook will leave them better equipped to fulfil this vital duty.

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Appendices
I.  Information resources on Africa
This section highlights some of the resources available on the Internet relating to sustainable development in Africa.
UNEP Regional Office for Africa
Africa Environment Outlook process
Global Environment Outlook Process
UNEP Africa portal
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs
United Nations Department of Political Affairs
African Union
Intergovernmental Authority for Development
Southern African Development Community
New Partnership for Africa’s Development
Afrobarometer public opinion surveys
Africover land cover initiative
Africa Data Dissemination Service
News about sustainable development
and environmental affairs in Africa
Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa
List of academic journals focused on Africa
http://www.unep.org/roa
http://www.unep.org/dewa/africa
http://www.unep.org/geo
http://africa.unep.net/ provides access to a wide variety of
complementary materials, including country profiles, graphics and
statistics, maps, case studies, and regional treaties and conventions.
http://www.uneca.org/ hosts programmes on sustainable development and
population information. (http://www.uneca.org/popia).
http://www.un.org/esa/africa
maintains the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa.
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpa/africa
supports a number of activities throughout Africa
http://www.africa-union.org
http://www.igad.org
http://www.sadc.int
http://www.nepad.org
http://afrobarometer.org
http://www.africover.org
http://igskmncnwb015.cr.usgs.gov/adds
http://allafrica.com/sustainable
http://allafrica.com/environment
http://www.jsd-africa.com
http://www.ajol.info
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 II.  United Nations system
United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) – New York, United http://ceb.unsystem.org
States of America
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)  (Preparatory Commission) www.ctbto.org
– Vienna, Austria
United Nations CyberSchoolBus – New York http://cyberschoolbus.un.org
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia www.uneca.org
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) – Geneva, Switzerland www.unece.org
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) – Santiago, Chile www.eclac.org
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) – Bangkok, Thailand www.unescap.org
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) – Beirut, Lebanon www.escwa.org.lb
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – Rome, Italy www.fao.org
Global Programme on Globalization, Liberalization and Sustainable Human Development www.unctad-undp.org
[UNCTAD-UNDP] – Geneva
High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) – Geneva http://ceb.unsystem.org/hlcm
High Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) – Geneva http://ceb.unsystem.org/hlcp
http://ceb.unsystem.org/
Former Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development (IACSD) – New York
former.ACC/iacsd.htm
Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) (formerly IACWGE) – New http://ceb.unsystem.org/
York former.ACC/iacwge.htm
Inter-Agency Procurement Services Office (IAPSO) – Copenhagen, Denmark www.iapso.org
Inter-Agency Working Group on Evaluation (IAWG) – New York www.uneval.org
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – Vienna www.iaea.org
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) [World Bank Group] www.worldbank.org/
– Washington DC, United States of America html/extdr/backgrd/ibrd
International Bureau of Education (IBE) [UNESCO] – Geneva www.ibe.unesco.org
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) [UNIDO] – Trieste, www.icgeb.org
Italy

146
International Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS) [UNIDO] – Trieste www.ics.trieste.it
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) [World Bank Group] www.worldbank.org/icsid
– Washington
Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) [UNESCO/IAEA – Trieste www.ictp.trieste.it
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) – Montreal, Canada www.icao.int
International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) – New York http://icsc.un.org
International Computing Centre (ICC) – Geneva www.unicc.org
International Court of Justice (ICJ) – The Hague, Netherlands www.icj-cij.org
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) – The Hague www.un.org/icty
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) – Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania www.ictr.org
International Development Association (IDA) [World Bank Group] – Washington www.worldbank.org/ida
International Finance Corporation (IFC) [World Bank Group] – Washington www.ifc.org
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – Rome www.ifad.org
International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) [UNESCO] – Paris, France www.unesco.org/iiep
International Institute on Ageing (INIA) – Valetta, Malta www.inia.org.mt
International Labour Organization (ILO) – Geneva www.ilo.org
International Maritime Organization (IMO) – London, United Kingdom www.imo.org
International Monetary Fund (IMF) – Washington www.imf.org
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) www.un-instraw.org
– Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
International Seabed Authority (ISA) – Kingston, Jamaica www.isa.org.jm
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) – Geneva www.unisdr.org
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – Geneva www.itu.int/home/index.html
International Trade Centre (ITC) [UNCTAD/WTO] – Geneva www.intracen.org
International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC/ILO) – Turin, Italy www.itcilo.it
Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) – Geneva www.unsystem.org/jiu

147
 Joint Inter-Agency Meeting on Computer-Assisted Translation and Terminology (JIAMCATT) http://jiamcatt.unsystem.org
– Geneva
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) – Geneva www.unaids.org
Media and Peace Institute (University for Peace) – Paris www.mediapeace.org
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) [World Bank Group] – Washington www.miga.org
United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) – Geneva and New York www.un-ngls.org
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – Geneva and New York http://ochaonline.un.org
Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) – Vienna www.oosa.unvienna.org
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – Geneva, www.unhchr.ch
Switzerland
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (OHCR) – Geneva, www.unhcr.ch
Switzerland
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) – The Hague www.opcw.org
Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies and the www.unsystem.org/
International Atomic Energy Agency – New York auditors/external.htm
ReliefWeb [OCHA] – Geneva http://www.reliefweb.int/
World Conservation Union (IUCN) – Gland, Switzerland www.iucn.org
United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (SCN) (formely ACC Subcommittee www.unsystem.org/scn
on Nutrition) – Geneva
United Nations – New York www.un.org
United Nations Atlas of the Oceans – Washington www.oceansatlas.org
United Nations Board of Auditors – New York www.unsystem.org/auditors
United Nations Capital Development Fund – New York www.uncdf.org
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – New York www.unicef.org
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) – Vienna www.un.or.at/uncitral
United Nations Common Supplier Database (UNCSD) – Oslo, Norway www.uncsd.org
http://ceb.unsystem.org/
United Nations Communications Group (former JUNIC) – New York
former.ACC/junic.htm
United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) – Geneva www.unog.ch/uncc

148
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – Geneva www.unctad.org
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – Bonn, Germany www.unccd.int
United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) (now UNODC) – Vienna,
www.undcp.org
Austria
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) – New York www.unifem.undp.org
United Nations Development Group (UNDG) – New York www.undg.org
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – New York www.undp.org
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – Paris www.unesco.org
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – Nairobi, Kenya www.unep.org
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Bonn www.unfccc.int
United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) – New York www.un.org/unfip
United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG)  – New York www.ungiwg.org
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) – Nairobi www.unhabitat.org
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) – Vienna www.unido.org
United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UNICT TF) – New www.unicttaskforce.org
York
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) – Geneva www.unog.ch/unidir
United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) – Geneva www.unitar.org
United Nations International School (UNIS) – New York www.unis.org
United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) – Rome www.unicri.it
United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) – New York www.unjspf.org
United Nations Mine Action Service – New York www.mineaction.org
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (formerly UNDCP) – Vienna www.unodc.org/unodc
United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) – Geneva www.unog.ch
United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) – Nairobi www.unon.org
United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) – Vienna www.unvienna.org
United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) – New York www.unops.org

149
 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – New York www.unfpa.org
United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) – Vienna www.unpa.unvienna.org
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) www.un.org/unrwa
– Gaza, Palestine, and Amman, Jordan
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) – Geneva www.unrisd.org
United Nations Resident Coordinators Network (RCNet) – New York www.dgo.org
United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) – Vienna www.unscear.org
United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) – New York http://ceb.unsystem.org
United Nations System Network on Rural Development and Food Security [FAO/IFAD] www.rdfs.net
– Rome
United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) – Turin www.unssc.org
United Nations University (UNU) – Tokyo, Japan www.unu.edu
United Nations Volunteers (UNV) – Bonn www.unv.org
Universal Postal Union (UPU) – Bern, Switzerland www.upu.int
University for Peace (UPEACE) – San Jose, Costa Rica  www.upeace.org
Women Watch – New York www.un.org/womenwatch
World Bank Group – Washington www.worldbank.org
World Food Programme (WFP) – Rome www.wfp.org
World Health Organization (WHO) – Geneva www.who.int
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) – Geneva www.wipo.int
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – Geneva www.wmo.ch
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) – Madrid, Spain  www.world-tourism.org
World Trade Organization (WTO) – Geneva www.wto.org
World Volunteer Web [UNV] – Bonn www.worldvolunteerweb.org

150
III.  Environmental contacts and networks
A.  UNEP
Regional Office for Africa
United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP
Regional Office for Africa, Room A-120
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi-Kenya
Tel: +254 20 7 624292
Email: roainfo@unep.org
www.unep.org/roa
Division of Early Warning Assessment,
DEWA
United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
Tel.: +254 20 62 4299
Fax: +254 20 62 4269
E-mail: dewa.director@unep.org/
Web: www.unep.org/dewa
Division of Communications and
Public Information, DCPI
United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel.: + 254 20 623293
Fax: +254 20 623927
E-mail: cpiinfo@unep.org/
Web: www.unap.org/dcpi
Division of Technology, Industry and
Economics, DTIE
United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP
39-43, Quai Andre Citroen
75739 Paris Cedex 15, France
Tel.: +33 1 44 37 1441
Fax: +33 1 44 37 1474
E-mail: unep.tie@unep.fr
Division of Environmental Policy
Implementation, DEPI
United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Tel.: +254 20 7 623508
Fax: +254 20 7 623927 / 624249
E-mail: depinfo@unep.org/
Web: www.unep.org/depi
Division of the Global Environment
Facility, DGEF
United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel.: +254 20 624165
Fax: +254 20 624041
E-mail: gefinfo@unep.org/
Web: www.unep.org/get/content index.htm
151
 Division of Environmental Law and Director Général de l’Environnement
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de
Conventions, DELC l’Environnement
United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP Palais Mustapha BACHA,
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya 6, Avenue de l’Indépendence
Tel.: +254 20 623508 16035 Algiers, Algeria
Fax: +254 20 623917 / 624249 Tel: (+213-21) 432 802 / 90
E-mail: dec@unep.org/ Fax: (+213-21) 432 849
Web: www.unep.org/dec
Benin
Division of Regional Cooperation,
Ministre de l’Environnement, de l’Habitat et de
DRC l’Urbanisme
United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP 01 B.P. 3621
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya Cotonou, Benin
Tel.: +254 20 623519 Tel: (+229) 315 596 /312 065 / 315 058 /
Fax: +254 20 624270 314 129
E-mail: drc@unep.org/ Fax: (+229) 315 081
Web: www.unep.org/drc
Botswana
B. Ministries of environment in Africa Minister for Environment, Wildlife and Tourism
Private Bag BO 199
Algeria Gaborone, Botswana
Ministre de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de Tel: (+267) 391 4870
l’Environnement Fax: (+267) 391 4861
Palais Mustapha BACHA,
6, Avenue de l’Indépendence
16035 Algiers, Algeria Burkina Faso
Tel: (213-21) 432 813 Ministre de l’Environnement et du Cadre de Vie
Fax: (213-21) 432 849 / 431 245 03 B.P. 7044
Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
Angola Tel: (226) 311 681 / 30 77 51 / 30 63 97 / 32
40 74 / 31 16 81
Ministry of Urban Development and Environment
Fax: (226) 316 491
Avenida 4 de Fevereiro No. 30
C.P. 3502
Luanda, Angola
Tel: (244-2) 91508402
Fax: (244-2) 310622 / 310479

152
Burundi Institutions Responsible for the Environment
SEPA– Executive Secretariat for the Environment
Ministre de l’Aménagement du Térritoire, de P.O. Box 115
l’Environnement et du Tourisme A/c Ministry of Agriculture
B.P. 631 Praia, Ilha de Santiago, Cape Verde
Bujumbura, Burundi Tel: (238) 615 716 (Secretariat)
Tel: (257) 224 979 / 22 67 18 / 221 649 Fax: (238) 617 611 (also as fax)
Fax: (257) 228 902 Email: sepa@mail.cvvtelecom.cv
sepa@mail.cvvtelecom.cv
Cameroon
Chad
Ministre de l’Environnement et des Forêts
B.P. 1106 Ministre de l’Environnement et de l’Eau
Yaounde, Cameroon N’Djamena, Chad
Tel: (237) 222 9483 Tel: (235) 52 60 12 / 52 44 60 / 52 32 55 /
Fax: (237) 222 9489 52 20 99
Fax: ( 235) 52 38 39 / 525232
Email: dhprs@intnet.td
Cape Verde
Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries
Comores
Caixa Postal N. 115
Praia, Cape Verde Ministre de la Production, de l’Envrionnement et
Tel: (238) 615 713 de l’Artisanat
Fax: (238) 61 40 54 B.P. 41
Email: seoa@mail.cvtelecom.cv Moroni, Comores
Sepa@mail.cvtelecom.cv Tel: (269) 74 46 30
Fax: (269) 74 46 32
Central African Republic
Congo
Ministre du Développement Durable, du Tourisme
et de l’Artisanat chargé de l’Environnement Ministre de l’Economie Forestière et de
B.P. 686 l’Environnement
Bangui, Central African Republic B.P. 98
Tel: (236) 61 59 01 / 61 56 12 / 501174 61 Brazzaville, Congo
23 42 Tel: (42) 814 141 / 810291 / 810295 / 812
Fax: (236) 61 47 90 / 61 56 12 / 61 57 41 611 / 360 121
Fax: (242) 814 136 / 814 134 / 837 150 /
812 611 / 810 330 / 815 190
Email: GrsCongo@hotmail.com

153
 Côte d’Ivoire Egypt
Ministre de l’Environnement et du Cadre de Vie Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency
10ème étage, Cité Administative 30, Misr Helwan El-Zyraie Road
20 BP 650 Cairo, Egypt
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire Tel: (202) 525 6463 / 525 6472 / 520 6463
Tel: (225) 202 26301 / 20 22 61 35 Fax: (202) 525 6461 / 526 6016
Fax: (225) 202 22050 / 202 10495 Email: mseaoffice@cee.gov.eg
C/o cimala2002@yahoo.fr
Cabinet Tel. (225) 20 31 50 05 / 51 or (225) 20
21 11 06 Equatorial Guinea
Chet de Cabinet Tel: (225) 2022 2050 Ministerio de Bosques y Medio Ambiente
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Democratic Republic of the Congo Tel: (240-9) 3408 / 21-19
Fax: (240-9) 3408 / 2905
Ministère de l’Habitat, de l’Environnement et du
Tourisme
Ave ILEO No. 15 Eritrea
B.P. 12345 Minister
Kinshasa-Gombe, Democratic Republic of the Ministry of Land, Water & Environment
Congo P.O. Box 976
Tel: 243 12 34390 Asmara, Eritrea
Fax: 243 12 33721 Tel: (291-1) 118742 / 116265
Fax: (291-1) 123285
Djibouti
Ministre de l’Habitat, de l’Urbanisme, de Ethiopia
l’Environnement, de l’Aménagement du Territoire General Manager
et de l’Artisanat Environmental Protection Agency
B.P.11 P.O. Box 12760
Djibouti Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (253) 35 00 06 / 358522 Tel: (251-1) 46 46 06 / 186202 / 625558-62
Fax: (253) 351 618 / 3416 18 / 627728
Email: esid@telecom.net.et 624757 / 624760 / 186 181
Fax: (251-1) 610 077 / 46 48 82 / 46 48 76

154
Gabon Guinea‑Bissau
Ministre de l’Economie Forestière, des Eaux et Secretaria de Estado da Energia e dos Recursos
de la Pêche chargé de l’Environnement et de la Naturais
Protection de la Nature QG – C.P. 399
B.P. 403 Bissau
Libreville, Gabon Guinee Bissau
Tel: (241) 766 181 / 76 39 05 Tel: (254) 221 925
Fax: (241) 761 381 / 772 994 / 765 548 / 76 Fax / phone: (245) 201 753
61 83 Fax: c/o FAO (245) 221 019
Fax: c/o IUCN: (245) 201 168
Gambia
Kenya
Secretary of State
Department of State for Natural Resources Minister for Environment and Natural Resources
Fisheries and Environment Maji House
State House P.O. Box 30521
Nairobi, Kenya
Banjul, Gambia
Tel: General (254-20) 2716 103 Ext. 42303
Tel: (220) 227 548 / 226 747
Tel: Direct (254-20) 2733 202 / 2711 238
Fax: (220) 4223 987 / 223 987
(Minister)
Email: osspa@gamtel.gm Fax: Director – 272 02 57
Fax: General – (254-20) 2727 622
Ghana Coordinator: Tel. 27 10 172
Permanent Secretary – Tel. 2710 120
Minister of Environment and Science Director, National Environment Secretariat (NES)
P.O. Box M 232 Tel: 248851 – Direct
Accra, Ghana Tel: 243839 Ext. 232
Tel: (+233 21) 666 049 / 662 013 / 662 533 Permanent Secretary – Water Resources,
Fax: (+ 233 21) 666 828 / 666049 / 662013 Tel: 316186
Personal Assistant to the Minister, Tel: 2728539

Guinea
Lesotho
Ministre de l’Environnement
B.P. 3118 Minister of Tourism Culture & Environment
Conakry, Guinea Prime Minister’s Office
Tel: (224) 41 25 13 / 46 48 50 P.O. Box 527
Fax: (224) 45 15 89 / 41 61 68 Maseru 100
Lesotho
Tel: (266-22) 31 65 74/ 31 30 34 / 31 17 67
Fax: (266-22) 31 05 06 / 310 190

155
 Liberia Malawi
Minister Minister
Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental
P.O 10/9016 Affairs
1000 Monrovia 10, Liberia Private Bag 350
Tel: (231) 2260785 / 226962 Lilongwe, Malawi
Fax: (231) 226075 Tel: (+265-1) 771 111 / 787 600
Fax: (+265-1) 773 379 / 780 260
Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia Email: natresources@malawi.net
4th Street, Sinkor
P.O. Box 4024
Monrovia, Liberia Mali
Fax: 312054407127 (UNDP)
Ministre de l’Equipment, de l’Aménagement du
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Territoire, de l’Environnement et de l’Urbanisme
Secretary B.P. 1634
People’s Committee of Environment General Bamako, Mali
Authority (EGA) Tel: (223 22) 2295168 / 222901
P.O. Box 83618 Fax: (223 22) 95170 / 95169 / 26298
Tripoli, Libyan Arab Jamahirya Email: me2003@afribone.net.mlf
Tel: (218-21) 427 2160 / 483 9992 / 444 84
52 / 484 0043 Mauritania
Mobile: Khalifa 218 91 311 1862
Fax: + 218-21 4839 991 / 490 0604 Ministre du Développement Rural et de
Tel: + 218 21 4870266 l’Environnement
Email: ega@egalibya.org/ B.P. 180
Head of Environment General Authority Noukachott, Mauritania
P.O. Box 3639 Tel: (222) 257 463 / 51 500 / 56 158
Tripoli, Libyan Arab Jamahirya Fax: (222) 257 475
Tel: (218-21) 483 1316
Fax: (218-21) 483 9991
Mauritius
Minister of Environment
Madagascar 10th Floor, Ken Lee Tower
Ministre du Transport, du Tourisme et de cr Barracks and St. Georges Street
l’Environnement Port Louis, Mauritius
Anosy, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar Tel: (230) 211 1652 / 208 1944 / 208 9916
Tel: (261-20) 224 0908 Fax: (230) 211 9455 / 212 8324
Fax: (261-20) 224 1919 E-mail: equal@bow.intnet.mu

156
Morocco Niger
Ministre Ministre de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre la
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de Desertification
l’Urbanisme. de l’Habitat et de l’Environnement B.P. 578
BP 36, Avenue Elebtel-Egdal Niamey, Niger
Rabat, Morocco Tel: (227) 734 722 / 734 782 / 73 33 29 /
Tel: (212-37) 76 35 39 736 970
Fax: (212-37) 76 35 10 Fax: (227) 73 55 91 / 724015 / 73 27 84
E-mail: direcnv@intnet.ne
Mozambique direnv@intnet.ne or faune@intnet.ne

Minister
Ministry for Coordination of Environmental Affairs Nigeria
Ave. Acordos de Lusaka 2115 Minister of Environment
P.O. Box 2020 Federal Ministry of Environment
Maputo, Mozambique P.M.B. 265, Garki
Tel: (+258 1) 498 114 / 49 5409 / 496 108 / Abuja, Nigeria
465843 / 48/51 Tel: (234-09) 5234014 / 217 119 / 234
Fax: (+2581 1) 496 108 / 49 5409 / 466243 6596/7
465849 Fax: (234-09) 5234014 / 52341109
Email: jwkacha@virconn.com Tel: (234-09) 413 6317

Namibia Rwanda
Minister of Environment and Tourism Minister for Lands, Environment, Forestry, Water
Private Bag 13346 and Natural Resources
Windhoek, Namibia P.O. Box 3502
Tel: (+264 61) 284 2335 / 284 2333 / 284 Kigali, Rwanda
232 / 284 2111 Tel: (250) 82628 / 82623
Fax: (+264 61) 232 057 / 240 339 Fax: (250) 76958 / 82627/82627
E-mail: pmalima@met.gov.na E-mail: Ministere@rwandtel.rwandal1.com

Sao Tome and Principle

Ministry of Infrastructure, Natural Resources and
Environment
Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principle
Tel: (239 12) 25 272 / 21 437
Fax: (239 12) 26 018
E-mail: gefamb@cstome.net

157
 Seychelles Somalia
Minister for Environment Minister
Botanical Gardens Ministry of Environment and Natural Disasters
P.O. Box 1145 Mogadishu, Somalia
Victoria Tel: (252-1) 270 0373 / 504 119 / 544 702
Mahe, Seychelles Fax: (252-59) 930 763 / 229 036 / 59 35611/
Tel: (248) 321 333 / 225 701 / 22 46 44 225 991
Fax: (248) 322 113 / 322 945 22 4500 E-mail: somlienvirnment@yahoo.com
E-mail: moe@seychelles.net
E-mail: rolp@seychelles.sc Sudan
Senegal Minister
Ministry of Environment and Physical Development
Ministre P.O. Box 10488
Ministre de la Jeunesse, de l’Environnement et de Khartoum, Sudan
l’Hygiène Tel: (249-183) 784 279 / 781 479 / 773 832
BP 4055 Fax: (249-183) 787 617
Dakar, Senegal E-mail: HCEN@sudanmail.net
Tel: (221) 849 7392 / 849 5901 /822 0927
Mobile: 221 6370 193
Swaziland
Fax: (221) 822 2180 / 822 6212 / 822 6211
Minister
Sierra Leone Ministry of Tourism, Environment and
Communication
Minister P.O. Box 2652
Ministry of Lands, Country Planning, Forestry and Mbabane, Swaziland
the Environment Tel: (+268) 4046420-3/ 404 6128
3rd Floor, Youyi Building Fax: (+268) 404 6438 404 1719
Freetown, Sierra Leone Email: mintou@realnet.co.sz
Tel: (232-22) 240 973 / 240 146 / 240 959
Fax: (232-22) 242 013 / 240 146
United Republic of Tanzania
South Africa Minister of State (Environment)
Vice President’s Office
Minister P.O. Box 5380
Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Private Bag X447 Tel: (255 22) 2128 771 / 211 8416 / 211
Pretoria 0001, South Africa 3983
Tel: (+27 12) 310 3611 / 310 3630 Fax: (255 22) 211 3856 / 211 3082 / 211
Tel: Cape Town (27-21) 465 7240 3858
Fax: (+ 27 12) 322 0082 / 320 4746 Email: makamu@twiga.com
E-mail: bburnet@ozone.pwv.gov.za
E-mail: pbaloyi@ozone.pwv.gov.za
E-mial: SSIGANGA@ozone.WV.GOV.za
158
Togo Zambia
Ministre de l’Environnement et des Ressources Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural
Forestières Resources
B.P. 4825 P.O. Box 34011
Lome, Togo Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: (228) 221 0600 / 2210 600 / 2213 078 Tel: (260-1) 22 54 63 / 22 94 17 / 229 421
Fax: (228) 221 0333 / 2210 333 / 2210 600 Fax: (260-1) 22 21 89 / 229 414
Email: Ksadade@rdd.tg E-mail: menr@zmnet.zm
Tel: (260-1) 2528711 / 253040 / 253042 / 4
/2
Tunisia Fax: (260-1) 252952 / 22 94 20
Ministre de Agriculture, de l’Environnement et des E-mail: menr@zamnet.zm
Ressources Hydrauliques
Centre Urban Nord Zimbabwe
1080 Tunis, Tunisia
Tel: (216-71) 704 000 Minister
Fax: (216-71) 780 391 Ministry of Environment and Tourism
E-mail: boc@minet.gov.tn 14th Floor, Karigamombe Centre
Provate Bag 7753, Causeway
Harare, Zimbabwe
Uganda Tel: (263-4) 757881-5 / 751 720-2 / 753 649
Minister for Water, Lands and Environment Fax: (263-4) 77 94 13 / 757877 / 77 32 76
P.O.Box 7122 E-mail: fnheman@coweb.co.zw
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: (256-41) 253 871 / 342 931 / 3
Direct: (256-41) 259 410
Fax: (256-41) 230 891
E-mail: byenkya@mwle.go.ug
Tel: 006 41 259 410

National Environment Management Authority

(NEMA)
Tel: (256 41) 251064 / 5 / 6
Fax: (256 41) 257521
E-mail: info@nemaug.org/
http: //www.nemaug.org/
Kampala, Uganda

159
 Tell Them
It is a deep wonder when you look at it
And lack words to describe it
Yet you must search for those words
So that you can tell others what you see
Glimpses into nature enliven all who behold
Tell them what you see,
Just as you see it
Nature’s voice reaches out to the discerning ear
Tell them what you hear
Just as you hear it
Nature arouses environmental feelings
Tell them what you feel
Search for the words
That come from the experience
And tell them
As it is

Bwak

160
IV.  Millennium Development Goals, targets and indicators
The Millennium Development Goals represent the agenda for efforts to reduce poverty
and improving livelihoods. They resulted out of the Millennium Summit of September
2000. A framework of eight goals, 18 targets and 48 indicators to measure progress towards
the Millennium Development Goals were developed based on the Millennium Summit
Otucome by the United Nations Secretariat and IMF, OECD and the World Bank. They are
now the universally accepted benchmark for the campaign to achieve poverty eradication
and sustainable development.
www.un.org/millenniumgoals

161
 Millennium Development Goals
Goals Targets
1. Eradicated 1. Halve, between 1990 and
extreme poverty 2015, the proportion of
and hunger people whose income is
less than one dollar a day
2. Halve, between 199 and
2015, the proportion of
people who suffer from
huger
2. Achieve universal 3. Ensure that by 2015,
primary education children everywhere, boys
and girls alike, will be able
to complete a full course of
primary schooling
3. Promote gender 4. Eliminate gender disparity
equality and in primary and secondary
empower women education, preferably by
2005, and in all levels of
education, no later than
2015
4. Reduce child 5 Reduce by two thirds,
mortality between 1990 and 2015
the under-five mortality rate
162
Indicators & Monitors
1. Proportion of population below $1
(1993 PPP) per day (World Bank)
2. Poverty gap ratio (incidence x depth of
poverty) (World Bank)
3. Share of poorest quintile in national
consumption (World Bank)
4. Prevalence of underweight children
under five years of age (UNICEF-
WHO)
5. Proportion of population below
minimum level of dietary energy
consumption (FAO)
6. Net enrolment ratio in primary
education (UNESCO)
7. Proportion of pupils starting grade 1
who reach grade 5 (UNESCO)
8. Literacy rate of 15–24 year olds
(UNESCO)
9. Ratio of girls to boys in primary,
secondary and tertiary education
(UNESCO)
10. Ratio of literate women to men, 15–24
years old (UNESCO)
11. Share of women in wage employment
in the non-agricultural sector (ILO)
12. Proportion of seats held by women in
national parliaments (IPU)
13. Under-five mortality rate (UNICEF-
WHO)
14. Infant mortality rate (UNICEF-WHO)
15. Proportion of 1 year-old children
immunized against measles (UNICEF-
WHO)
Goals Targets
5. Improve maternal 6. Reduce by three quarters,
health between 1990 and 2015,
the maternal mortality ratio
6. Combat HIV/ 7. Have halted by 2015 and
AIDS, malaria and begun to reverse the spread
other diseases of HIV/AIDS
8. Have halted by 2015
and begun to reverse the
incidence of malaria and
other major diseases
Indicators & Monitors
16. Maternal mortality ratio (UNICEF-
WHO)
17. Proportion of births attended by
skilled heath personnel (UNICEF-
WHO)
18. HIV prevalence among pregnant
women aged 15–24 years (UNAIDS-
WHO-UNICEF)
19. Condom‑use rate, the contraceptive
prevalence rate (United Nations
Population Division)
19a. Condom use at last high-risk sex
(UNICEF-WHO)
19b. Percentage of population aged 15–
24 years with comprehensive correct
knowledge of HIV/AIDS (UNICEF-
WHO)
19c. Contraceptive prevalence rate (United
Nations Population Division)
20. Ratio of school attendance of orphans
to school attendance of non-orphans
aged 10–14 years (UNICEF-UNAIDS-
WHO)
21. Prevalence and death rates
associated with malaria (WHO)
22. Proportion of population in malaria-
risk areas using effective malaria
prevention and treatment measures
(UNICEF-WHO)
23. Prevalence and death rates
associated with tuberculosis (WHO)
163
 Goals Targets
7. Ensure 9. Integrate the principles of
environmental sustainable development
sustainability into country policies and
programmes and reverse
the loss of environmental
resources
10. Halve, by 2015, the
proportion of people
without sustainable access
to safe drinking water and
sanitation
11. By 2020, to have
achieved a significant
improvement in the lives of
at least 100 million slum
dwellers
164
Indicators & Monitors
24. Proportion of land area covered by
forest (FAO)
25. Ratio of area protected to maintain
biological diversity to surface area
(UNEP-WCMC)
26. Energy use (kg oil equivalent) per $1
GDP (PPP) (IEA, World Bank)
27. Carbon dioxide emissions per capita
(UNFCCC, UNSD) and consumption
of ozone-depleting CFCs (ODP tons)
(UNEP-Ozone Secretariat)
28. Proportion of population using solid
fuels (WHO)
29. Proportion of population with
sustainable access to an improved
water source, urban and rural
(UNICEF-WHO)
30. Proportion of population with access
to improved sanitation, urban and
rural (UNICEF-WHO)
31. Proportion of households with access
to secure tenure (UN-Habitat)
Recommended Reading

Water World: Children’s Voices -

An Educational Booklet on Water for Children

T he world is running out of fresh water.

Humans are depleting, polluting, and diverting
the world’s supply of fresh water so fast, that by
2025, unless we dramatically change our ways,
two-thirds of the world’s people will be living (or
dying) under severe water shortages. As it is now,
every eight seconds, a child dies of water-borne
disease.

This educational booklet captures the world of

water through the eyes of children worldwide. The
narrator, 14 year-old Nthabi, from Kenya, uses her
own experiences and those of her friends from all
around the world to express how they feel about this
valuable resource. They use pictures, poems and
essays to express their description of water, the role
it plays in their daily lives, its different forms of existence, and how it can be best preserved.

Water World is recommended for use in schools and environment clubs. It illustrates the
importance of water in our everyday lives and introduces the various uses of water, including
agriculture, industry, home and recreational use. Water World also includes examples of how
to conserve water and avoid polluting water sources, and explains why freshwater resources
are declining across the globe. Water World also encourages young people to participate in
caring for water resources at home, through their school clubs and in their communities.

Year of publication: 2003.

ISBN: 92-807-2388-X
165
 www.unep.org
United Nations Environment Programme
ENVIRONMENTAL
REPORTING FOR
P.O. Box 30552 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel.: +254 20 762 1234
Fax: +254 20 762 3927 U NEP
E-mail: uneppub@unep.org
U NE P U NEP
AFRICAN JOURNALISTS
web: www.unep.org

A Handbook of Key Environmental

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING FOR AFRICAN JOURNALISTS

Issues and Concepts

A Handbook of Key Environmental Issues and Concepts

ISBN: 978-92-807-2767-8
JOB NO.: DPD/0883/NA